The Emerald Tablet
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 13 clauses of the Latin recension printed by Julius Ruska in 1926. Latin source edition on archive.org
Clause 1
Latin
1. Verum, sine mendacio, certum et verissimum.
English · Plain English 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 · Plain English 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 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 · Plain English 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 · Plain English translation · Mouseia
4. Its father is the Sun, its mother the Moon; (5) the wind carried it in its womb; (6) its nurse is the earth.
Clause 5
Latin
5. Pater omnis thelesmi totius mundi est hic.
English · Plain English translation · Mouseia
5. The father of all the perfection of the whole world is here.
Clause 6
Latin
6. Vis (Virtus) ejus integra est, si versa fuerit in terram.
English · Plain English translation · Mouseia
6. Its power (virtue) is complete if it is turned into earth.
Clause 7
Latin
7. Separabis terram ab igne, subtile a spisso, suaviter, cum magno ingenio.
English · Plain English 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 · Plain English translation · Mouseia
8. It rises from earth into heaven, and descends again into earth, and receives the power of the higher and the lower. (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 · Plain English translation · Mouseia
9. This (she) is the strong strength of all strength, because it will conquer every subtle thing and penetrate every solid thing.³
Clause 10
Latin
10. Sic mundus creatus est.
English · Plain English translation · Mouseia
10. Thus the world was created.
Clause 11
Latin
11. Hinc adaptationes erunt mirabiles, quarum modus est hic.
English · Plain English translation · Mouseia
11. From this will come marvelous adaptations, whose method is this.
Clause 12
Latin
12. Itaque vocatus sum Hermes Trismegistus, habens tres partes Philosophiae totius mundi.
English · Plain English 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 · Plain English translation · Mouseia
13. What I have said about the operation of the Sun is complete.