ᚦᚫᛏ ᚷᚱᛖᚾᛖ ᛒᚱᛖᛞ (Þæt Grene Bred)

The Emerald Tablet

0) Here is that which the priest Sagijus 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:

ᛤ) Her ys þat hwilc þone clænsere Sagijus of Nabulus gewriton ymbe þæt infær Balinases into þone dimlicum cleofan...Æfter min infær into þone cleofan, hwær þæm talismane wæs geloged, ic becymen an ealdne wer ofersittende gyldene setle, who anhealden an grene bred in anum handa.

And besiehst þe fylgende in Syrian, þe fruman spræce - gewriton þæron.

Ȝ) Here is that which the priest Saijus of Nabulus wrote about the entry of Balinas into the hidden chamber...After my entry into the chamber, where the talisman was placed, I came upon an old man sitting upon (a) golden seat, who held an emerald tablet in one hand.

And look upon the following in Syriac, the primal language - wrote thereon:

1) Here (is) a true explanation, concerning which there can be no doubt.

ᚠ) Her ys an rihte andcwise, ymbe hwilc þær nagon ymbe ænig incan.

A) Here is a true answer, about which there cannot be any doubt.

2) It attests: The above from the below, and the below from the above − the work of the miracle of the One.

ᚢ) Hit spræc: þe bufan fram þe beneoðan, and þe beneoðan fram þe bufan - þe wundorgeweorc þæs Anes.

Æ) It says: the above from the beneath, and the beneath from the above - the wonderwork of the One.

3) 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.

ᚦ) And þings gecomon fram þis fruma standnesse þurh anum dæde. þis ys wundorlic weorc! Hit ys þa heahste lage weorolde and ys his weard.

B) And things came from this primal substance through one action. This is wonderful work! It is the highest law of the world and is the keeper of it.

4) Its father is the sun and its mother the moon.

ᚩ) His fæder ys þone sunne and his modor þone monan.

C) Its father is the sun and its mother the moon.

5) The wind has borne it in its body, and the earth has nourished it.

ᚱ) Se wind geboren hit in his lice, and þæt land gealen hit.

D) The wind carried it in its body, and the earth nourished it.

6) The father of talismen and the protector of miracles;

ᚳ) Se fæder talismenes and se geborga wundorgeweorca.

Ð) The father of talismen and the guardian of miracles;

6a) whose powers are perfect, and whose lights are confirmed (?),

ᚷ) his afol wære gefullfremed, and his leoht wære aseþed,

E) its powers are perfected, and its lights are confirmed,

7) a fire that becomes earth.

ᚹ) an al þat biþ land.

F) a fire that becomes land.

7a) Separate the earth from the fire, so you will attain the subtle as more inherent than the gross, with care and sagacity.

ᚻ) Adæl þe land fram þæm ale, þu ðus scyle cume þæt gæpan beon þæt maran healicne þanne þæt forþrihte, mid behygdnesse and wisdome.

G) Divide the earth from the fire, you thus shall attain the subtle to be the more profound than the forthright, with care and wisdom.

8) 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 beneath;

ᚾ) Hit arist fram land to heofone, swa-swa ateon þæt leoht heofones to him-silfes, and niðergaþ to þæt land; ðus wiðinnan hit sindon þone mægen of bufan and beneoðan;

H) It rises from earth to sky, so as to draw the lights of (the) heavens to itself, and descends to the earth; thus within it are the forces of above and below;

9) because the light of lights within it, thus does the darkness flee before it.

ᛁ) swa the leoht leohtes ys wiðinnan hit, ðus deð þone deorcnesse fleah beforan hit.

I) as the light of lights is within it, thus does the darkness flee before it.

10) The force of forces, which overcomes every subtle thing and penetrates into everything gross.

ᛡ) Se mægen mægnes, hwilc beþrideþ eall gæpu þing and geondfæreþ into eall forþrihte þing.

L) The force of forces, which overcomes all subtle things and penetrates into all forthright things.

11) The structure of the microcosm is in accordance with the structure of the macrocosm.

ᛇ) Seo læssa bisen ys in annysse mid þa greatran bisene.

M) The lesser pattern is in agreement with the greater pattern.

12) And accordingly proceed the knowledgeable.

ᛈ) And ðus forþcomon þone lārsmiþ.

N) And thus proceed the wise men.

13) And to this aspired Hermes, who was threefold graced with wisdom.

ᛉ) And to þis orðende Hermes, hwome wæs þreowa bletsod mid wisdomas.

O) And to this aspired Hermes, who was thrice blessed with wisdom.

14) And this is his last book, which he concealed in the chamber.

ᛋ) And þis ys him latoste boc, hwilc he gebedígled in þone cleofan.

P) And this is his last book, which he concealed in this chamber.

About

The Emerald Tablet is a piece of esoteric work said to have been created by Hermes Trismegistus, a popular figure in Western Occultist. It is supposed to have been created sometime in earlier parts of the first millennia, but the first time it showed up in complete form was in an Arabic translation around 800 AD. It was used as a resource by the alchemists of the time, whom were of the mind it referred to an artifact called the Philosopher's Stone. Herein on Line 2 one can also find one of the most commonly quoted Hermetic Principles: As above, so below; as below, so above. The Tablet has had about a dozen translations since then.

I translated the second version into Old English, since it provides some extra context/background on how it was said to be found; not all translations include Line 0. There obviously isn't much purpose therein, but I thought it to a fun exercise and way to bring herewith both that language and the Tablet itself to Gemini. It is, after all, a small piece of the place from whence came science as we know it today.

Numbered lines are the original translation, runes are it being put into Old English, and letters are the literal translation thereof.