The Emerald Tablet
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 13 clauses of the Latin recension printed by Julius Ruska in 1926 for fidelity, clarity, structure, imagery, and cadence. Latin source edition on archive.org
Clause 1
Latin
1. Verum, sine mendacio, certum et verissimum.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
1. True, without falsehood, certain and most true.
Clause 2
Latin
2. Quod est inferius, est sicut (id) quod est superius, et quod est superius, est sicut (id) quod est inferius, ad perpetranda¹ miracula rei unius.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
2. What is below is like (that) which is above, and what is above is like (that) which is below, to accomplish¹ the wonders of the one thing.
Clause 3
Latin
3. Et sicut omnes res fuerunt ab uno, meditatione unius: sic omnes res natae fuerunt ab hac una re, adaptatione.²
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
3. And just as all things came from one, through the contemplation of one, so all things were born from this one thing, through adaptation.²
Clause 4
Latin
4. Pater ejus est Sol, mater ejus Luna; (5) portavit illud ventus in ventre suo; (6) nutrix ejus terra est.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
4. Its father is the Sun, its mother the Moon; (5) the wind carried it in its womb; (6) the earth is its nurse.
Clause 5
Latin
5. Pater omnis thelesmi totius mundi est hic.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
5. Here is the father of all perfection in the whole world.
Clause 6
Latin
6. Vis (Virtus) ejus integra est, si versa fuerit in terram.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
6. Its force (Power) is whole if it is turned into earth.
Clause 7
Latin
7. Separabis terram ab igne, subtile a spisso, suaviter, cum magno ingenio.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
7. You will separate earth from fire, the subtle from the dense, gently, with great skill.
Clause 8
Latin
8. Ascendit a terra in coelum, iterumque descendit in terram, et recipit vim superiorum et inferiorum. (11) Sic habebis gloriam totius mundi. Ideo fugiat (fugiet) a te omnis obscuritas.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
8. It ascends from earth into heaven, and descends again into earth, and receives the force of the things above and the things below. (11) Thus you will have the glory of the whole world. Therefore let all obscurity flee (all obscurity will flee) from you.
Clause 9
Latin
9. Hic (Haec) est totius fortitudinis fortitudo fortis: quia vincet omnem rem subtilem, omnemque solidum³ penetrabit.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
9. This (She) is the strong strength of all strength: for it will conquer every subtle thing, and penetrate every solid thing.³
Clause 10
Latin
10. Sic mundus creatus est.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
10. Thus the world was created.
Clause 11
Latin
11. Hinc adaptationes erunt mirabiles, quarum modus est hic.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
11. From this will come marvelous adaptations, whose method is here.
Clause 12
Latin
12. Itaque vocatus sum Hermes Trismegistus, habens tres partes Philosophiae totius mundi.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
12. Therefore I am called Hermes Trismegistus, possessing the three parts of the Philosophy of the whole world.
Clause 13
Latin
13. Completum est quod dixi de operatione Solis.
English · Musean translation · Mouseia
13. What I have said about the operation of the Sun is complete.