SERIES IN HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

THE EMERALD TABLET

"The exact origin of the Emerald Tablet (ET) of Hermes lies shrouded in mystery. Opinions vary widely, from the scholarly theory that it originated in the early period of Arabic alchemy, to the speculative fantasy of an Atlantean origin. The original document has not survived and all we are left with are translations of it. Of greatest impact on western thought, have been three 12th century Latin versions. In the past 200 years, several older Arabic translations have been discovered and rendered into English as well.

Some Arabic versions contain lines that claim the ET to be the testament of a person named 'Balinas', who enters a cave and sees Hermes sitting there holding an "emerald" (meaning "green stone", not necessarily that it was specifically an emerald) tablet upon which were written certain words in ancient Syriac. Apparently, Balinas left the cave and subsequently wrote down what he saw engraved upon Hermes' tablet. Whether historically accurate or not, these lines present us with a valuable mythological image: the inner search for meaning.

The Emerald Tablet is the foundation of western Alchemical thought and practice as we know it today. Alchemy is, essentially, the practical application of the Hermetic Philosophy, contrary to the common perception which posits Alchemy as a mere lust for gold."[1]

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12th Century Latin Translation

"0) When I entered into the cave, I received the tablet zaradi, which was inscribed, from between the hands of Hermes, in which I discovered these words:

1) True, without falsehood, certain, most certain.

2) What is above is like what is below, and what is below is like that which is above. To make the miracle of the one thing.

3) And as all things were made from contemplation of one, so all things were born from one adaptation.

4) Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon.

5) The wind carried it in its womb, the earth breast fed it.

6) It is the father of all ‘works of wonder' (Telesmi) in the world.

6a) Its power is complete (integra).

7) If cast to (turned towards- versa fuerit) earth,
7a) It will separate earth from fire, the subtile from the gross.

8) With great capacity it ascends from earth to heaven. Again it descends to earth, and takes back the power of the above and the below.

9) Thus you will receive the glory of the distinctiveness of the world. All obscurity will flee from you.

10) This is the whole most strong strength of all strength, for it overcomes all subtle things, and penetrates all solid things.

11) Thus was the world created.

12) From this comes marvelous adaptions of which this is the proceedure.

13) Therefore I am called Hermes, because I have three parts of the wisdom of the whole world.

14) And complete is what I had to say about the work of the Sun, from the book of Galieni Alfachimi."[2]

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Georgio Beato's Translation from

"Aurelium Occultae Philosophorum"

"1) This is true and remote from all cover of falsehood

2) Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing are procured and perfected.

3) Also, as all things are made from one, by the condsideration of one, so all things were made from this one, by conjunction.

4) The father of it is the sun, the mother the moon.

5) The wind bore it in the womb. Its nurse is the earth, the mother of all perfection.

6) Its power is perfected.

7) If it is turned into earth,
7a) Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle and thin from the crude and course, prudently, with modesty and wisdom.

8) This ascends from the earth into the sky and again descends from the sky to the earth, and receives the power and efficacy of things above and of things below.

9) By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows and blindness.

10) For this by its fortitude snatches the palm from all other fortitude and power. For it is able to penetrate and subdue everything subtle and everything crude and hard.

11) By this means the world was founded

12) And hence the marvelous cojunctions of it and admirable effects, since this is the way by which these marvels may be brought about.

13) And because of this they have called me Hermes Tristmegistus since I have the three parts of the wisdom and Philsosphy of the whole universe.

14) My speech is finished which i have spoken concerning the solar work"[3]

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Isaac Newton's Translation (c. 1680)

"1) Tis true without lying, certain & most true.

2) That wch is below is like that wch is above & that wch is above is like yt wch is below to do ye miracles of one only thing.

3) And as all things have been & arose from one by ye mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.

4) The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,

5) The wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nourse.

6) The father of all perfection in ye whole world is here.

7) Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
7a) Seperate thou ye earth from ye fire, ye subtile from the gross sweetly wth great indoustry.

8) It ascends from ye earth to ye heaven & again it desends to ye earth and receives ye force of things superior & inferior.

9) By this means you shall have ye glory of ye whole world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.

10) Its force is above all force. ffor it vanquishes every subtile thing & penetrates every solid thing.

11) So was ye world created.

12) From this are & do come admirable adaptaions whereof ye means (Or process) is here in this.

13) Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of ye philosophy of ye whole world.

14) That wch I have said of ye operation of ye Sun is accomplished & ended."[4]

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Additional Translations from Fulcanelli, Madame Blavatsky, Sigismund Bacstrom and others are available at the following: http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm

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[1] Clark, Rawn, "Commentary on the Emerald Tablets of Hermes", 1996.  http://www.levity.com/alchemy/rawn_cla.html

[2] Steele, R. and Singer, D.W. "The Emerald Table". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine vol 21, 1928.

[3] Davis, Tenny L. "The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Tristmegistus: Three Latin versions which were current among later Alchemists", Journal of Chemical Education, Vol.3, no.8, pp 863-75, 1926.

[4] Dobbs, B.J. "Newton's Commentary on the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus" in Merkel, I and Debus A.G. Hermeticism and the Renaissance. Folger, Washington 1988.

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Series In Hermetic Philosophy

Source Texts:

Corpus Hermeticum, The

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/herm/

Divine Pymander, The of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/pym/

Emerald Tablet, The of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm

Kybalion, The by Three Initiates

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/

Virgin of the World, The of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/vow/

For Further Reference - G. R. S. Mead’s “Thrice Great Hermes”, Vol. 1 & 2.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/gno/th1/

http://www.sacred-texts.com/gno/th2/

More texts may become available as archives are organized and synthesized.

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