~ the cornerstone of occult philosophy
The Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis, or "Hermetic Emerald Table," is attributed to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus, the "thrice-great" magician god, allonym of Thoth and divine author of the Corpus Hermeticum. It was written on a green stone tablet (the Latin word "smaragdina" being used to describe green granite and other green rocks as well as emerald proper), in the lingua franca of the pre-Arab Near East, Aramaic – here called "Syriac" or "Chaldean," which were both alternate names for Aramaic. Supposedly, the green stone tablet was found in a cave by the also-legendary occultist Apollonius of Tyana (known to the Arabs as "Balaniyus al-Hakim," or "Apollonius the Wise"). Some modern scholars have posited other origins for the formula – even Taoist influences have been suggested.
The earliest extant copy of the table are written in Arabic, and date from around the seventh century ce. It came to Europe in the twelfth century, being first translated by Johannes Hispalensis. Within four hundred years, it became an integral component in Western occult studies. "As above, so below," one of the main theses of this short work, is commonly called the "Hermetic Postulate," and is probably the single most influential idea in the history of Western occultism.
Here are some historical translations of the Emerald Table.
An anonymous translation of J Ruska's German translation of the appendix to Kitab Sirr al-Khaliqa wa San`at al-Tabi`a (Book of the Secret of Creation and the Art of Nature), also known as the Kitab Balaniyus al-Hakim fi'l-`Ilal (Apollonius the Wise's Book on the Causes), written at some time between 650 and 813:
Here is that which the priest Sagijus [Sergius] of Nabulus has dictated concerning the entrance of Balinas into the hidden chamber:
After my entrance into the chamber, where the talisman was set up, I came up to an old man sitting on a golden throne, who was holding an emerald table in one hand. And behold the following – in Syriac, the primordial language – was written thereon:
Here [is] a true explanation, concerning which there can be no doubt. It attests: The above from the below, and the below from the above – the work of the miracle of the One. And things have been from this primal substance through a single act. How wonderful is this work! It is the main [principle] of the world and is its maintainer. Its father is the sun and its mother the moon; the wind has borne it in its body, and the earth has nourished it. the father of talismans and the protector of miracles whose powers are perfect, and whose lights are confirmed, a fire that becomes earth. Separate the earth from the fire, so you will attain the subtle as more inherent than the gross, with care and sagacity. It rises from earth to heaven, so as to draw the lights of the heights to itself, and descends to the earth; thus within it are the forces of the above and the below; because the light of lights within it, thus does the darkness flee before it. The force of forces, which overcomes every subtle thing and penetrates into everything gross. The structure of the microcosm is in accordance with the structure of the macrocosm. And accordingly proceed the knowledgeable.
And to this aspired Hermes, who was threefold graced with wisdom.
And this is his last book, which he concealed in the chamber.
EJ Holmyard's 1923 translation of Kitab Ustuqus al-Uss al-Thani (Second Book of the Elements of Foundation), a twelfth-century text by Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan:
Balinas mentions the engraving on the table in the hand of Hermes, which says:
Truth! Certainty! That in which there is no doubt! That which is above is from that which is below, and that which is below is from that which is above, working the miracles of one. As all things were from one. Its father is the Sun and its mother the Moon. The Earth carried it in her belly, and the Wind nourished it in her belly, as Earth which shall become Fire. Feed the Earth from that which is subtle, with the greatest power. It ascends from the earth to the heaven and becomes ruler over that which is above and that which is below.
And I have already explained the meaning of the whole of this in two of these books of mine.
Steele & Singer's 1928 translation of Johannes Hispalensis's Latin table of 1140:
When I entered into the cave, I received the emerald tablet, which was inscribed, from between the hands of Hermes, in which I discovered these words:
True, without falsehood, certain, most certain. 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. And as all things were made from contemplation of one, so all things were born from one adaptation. Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon. The wind carried it in its womb, the earth breast fed it. It is the father of all works of wonder [telesmi] in the world. Its power is complete. If cast to earth, it will separate earth from fire, the subtile from the gross. 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. Thus you will receive the glory of the distinctiveness of the world. All obscurity will flee from you. This is the whole most strong strength of all strength, for it overcomes all subtle things, and penetrates all solid things. Thus was the world created. From this comes marvelous adaptions of which this is the proceedure.
Therefore I am called Hermes, because I have three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. And complete is what I had to say about the work of the Sun, from the book of Galieni Alfachimi.
Roger Bacon's translation (c. 1445) of Secretum Secretorum (being the Arabic book Kitab Sirr al-Asrar):
Trouth hath hym so, and it is no doubt, that the lower is to the heigher, and the heigher to the lower aunsweren. The worcher forsoth of all myracles is the one and sool God, of and fro Whom Cometh all meruelous operacions. So all thynges were created of o soole substance, and of o soole disposicion, the fader wherof is the sone, and the moone moder, that brought hym forth by blast or aier in the wombe, the erthe taken fro it, to whom is seid the increat fader, tresour of myracles, and yever of vertues. Of fire is made erthe. Depart the erthe fro the fire, for the sotiller is worthier than the more grosse, and the thynne thynge than the thik. This most be do wisely and discretly. It ascendith fro the erth into the heven, and falleth fro heven to the erthe, and therof sleith the higher and the lower vertue. And yf it lordship in the lower and in the heigher, and thow shalt lordship aboue and beneth, which forsoth is the light of lightes, and therfor fro the wolle fle all derknesse. The higher vertue ouer-cometh all, for sothe all thynne thyng doth in dense thynges. After the disposicion of the more world rynneth this worchyng.
And for this prophetisyng of the trynyte of God Hermogenes it called Triplex, trebil in philosophie, as Aristotle seith.
H Kunrath's Latin edition (1609), with variant readings in parentheses:
Verba Secretorum Hermetis.
Verum sine mendacio, certum et verissimum: quod est inferius est sicut quod est superius; et quod est superius est sicunt quod est inferius, ad perpetranda miracula rei unius. Et sicut omnes res fuerunt ab uno, mediatione unius, sic omnes res natæ fuerunt ab hac una readaptione (var. per conjunctionem). Pater jeus est Sol; mater ejus Luna, portavit illud Ventus in ventre suo; nutrix ejus Terra est. Pater omnis telesmi totius mundi est hic. Vis ejus integra est, si versa fuerit (var. si mutetur) in terram. Separabis terram ab igne, subtile a spisso, suaviter, cum magno ingenio. Ascendit a terra in coelum, interumque descendit in terram, et recepit vim superiorum et inferiorum. Sic habebis gloriam totius mundi. Ideo fugiet a te omnis obscuritas. Hic est totius fortitudinis fortitudo fortis; quia vincet omnem rem subtilem, omnemque solidam penetrabit. Sic mundus creatus est. Hinc erunt adaptiones mirabiles, quarum modus est hic.
Itaque vocatus sum Hermes Trismegistus, habens tres partes philosophiæ totius mundi. Completum est quod dixi de operatione Solis (var. de magisterio solis).
Sir Isaac Newton's translation (1680):
Tis true without lying, certain & most true. 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. 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. The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nourse. The father of all perfection in ye whole world is here. Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth. Seperate thou ye earth from ye fire, ye subtile from the gross sweetly wth great indoustry. It ascends from ye earth to ye heaven & again it desends to ye earth and receives ye force of things superior & inferior. By this means you shall have ye glory of ye whole world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you. Its force is above all force. For it vanquishes every subtile thing & penetrates every solid thing. So was ye world created. From this are & do come admirable adaptations whereof ye means ↑ (or process) ↓ is here in this.
Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of ye philosophy of ye whole world. That wch I have said of ye operation of ye Sun is accomplished & ended.
HP Blavatsky's edition, from Isis Unveiled (1877):
What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below to accomplish the wonders of the one thing. As all things were produced by the mediation of one being, so all things were produced from this one by adaption. Its father is the sun, its mother the moon. It is the cause of all perfection throughout the whole earth. Its power is perfect if it is changed into earth. Separate the earth from the fire, the subtile from the gross, acting prudently and with judgement. Ascend with the greatest sagacity from earth to heaven, and unite together the power of things inferior and superior; thus you will possess the light of the whole world, and all obscurity will fly away from you. This thing has more fortitude than fortitude itself, because it will overcome every subtile thing and penetrate every solid thing. By it the world was formed.