INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION of the TABULA SMARAGDINA HERMETIS

(From Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians, Altona, 1785)

  This picture, plain and insignificant in appearance,

  Concealeth a great and important thing.

  Yea, it containeth a secret of the kind

  That is the greatest treasure in the world.

  For what on this earth is deemed more excellent

  Than to be a Lord who ever reeketh with gold,

  And hath also a healthy body,

  Fresh and hale all his life long,

  Until the predestined time

  That cannot be overstepped by any creature.

  All this, as I have stated, clearly

  Is contained within this figure.

  Three separate shields are to be seen,

  And on them are eagle, lion, and free star.

  And painted in their very midst

  Artfully stands an imperial globe.

  Heaven and Earth in like manner

  Are also placed herein intentionally,

  And between the hands outstretched towards each other

  Are to be seen the symbols of metals.

  And in the circle surrounding the picture

  Seven words are to be found inscribed.

  Therefore I shall now tell

  What each meaneth particularly

  And then indicate without hesitation

  How it is called by name.

  Therein is a secret thing of the Wise

  In which is to be found great power.

  And how to prepare it will also

  Be described in the following:

  The three shields together indicate

  Sal, Sulphur, and Mercurium.

  The Sal hath been one Corpus that

  Is the very last one in the Art.

  The Sulphur henceforth is the soul

  Without which the body can do nothing.

  Mercurius is the spirit of power,

  Holding together both body and soul,

  Therefore it is called a medium

  Since whatever is made without it hath no stability.

  For soul and body could not die

  Should spirit also be with them.

  And soul and spirit could not be

  Unless they had a body to dwell in,

  And no power had body or spirit

  If the soul did not accompany them.

  This is the meaning of the Art:

  The body giveth form and constancy,

  The soul doth dye and tinge it,

  The spirit maketh it fluid and penetrateth it.

  And therefore the Art cannot be

  In one of these three things alone.

  Nor can the greatest secret exist alone:

  It must have body, soul, and spirit.

  And now what is the fourth,

  From which the three originate,

  The same names teach thee

  And the sevenfold star in the lower shield.

  The Lion likewise by its colour and power

  Showeth its nature and its property.

  In the Eagle yellow and white are manifest.

  Mark my words well, for there is need of care:

  The imperial orb doth exhibit

  The symbol of this highest good.

  Heaven and earth, four elements,

  Fire , light, and water, are therein.

  The two hands do testify with an oath

  The right reason and the true knowledge,

  And from what roots are derived

  All of the metals and many other things.

  Now there remain only the seven words,

  Hear further what they mean:

  If thou dost now understand this well

  This knowledge shall nevermore fail thee.

  Every word standeth for a city

  Each of which hath but one gate.

  The first signifieth gold, is intentionally yellow.

  The second for fair white silver.

  The third, Mercurius, is likewise grey.

  The fourth for tin, is heaven-blue.

  The fifth for iron, is blood-red.

  The sixth for copper, is true green.

  The seventh for lead, is black as coal.

  Mark what I mean, understand me well:

  In these city gates, indeed,

  Standeth the whole ground of the Art.

  For no one city alone can effect anything,

  The others must also be close at hand.

  And as soon as the gates are closed

  One cannot enter any city.

  And if they had no gates

  Not one thing could they accomplish.

  But if these gates are close together

  A ray of light appeareth from seven colors.

  Shining very brightly together

  Their might is incomparable.

  Thou canst not find such wonders on earth,

  Wherefore hearken unto further particulars:

  Seven letters, and seven words,

  Seven cities, and seven gates,

  Seven times, and seven metals,

  Seven days, and seven ciphers.

  Whereby I mean seven herbs

  Also seven arts and' seven stones.

  Therein stands every lasting art.

  Well for him who findeth this.

  If this be too hard for thee to understand

  Here me again in a few other particulars:

  Truly I reveal to thee

  Very clearly and plainly, without hatred or envy,

  How it is named with one word

  Vitriol, for him who understandeth it.

  If thou wouldst oft figure out

  This Cabbalistic way with all diligence,

  Seven and fifty in the cipher

  Thou findest figured everywhere.

  Let not the Work discourage thee,

  Understand me rightly, so shalt thou enjoy it.

  Besides that, note this fully,

  There is a water which doth not make wet.

  From it the metals are produced,

  It is frozen as hard as ice.

  A moistened dust a fuller wind doth raise,

  Wherein are all qualities.

  If thou dost not understand this,

  Then I may not name it for thee otherwise.

  Now I will instruct thee

  How it should be prepared.

  There are seven ways for this art,

  If thou neglectest any of them thou workest in vain.

  But thou must, before all things else, know

  Thou hast to succeed in purification.

  And although this be twofold,

  Thou art in need of one alone.

  The first work is freely done by it

  Without any other addition,

  Without distilling something in it,

  Simply through its putrefication.

  From all of its earthliness

  Is everything afterwards prepared.

  This first way hath two paths,

  Happy is he who goeth on the right path.

  The first extendeth through the strength of fire,

  With and in itself, note this well.

  The second extendeth further

  Until one cometh to treasure and to gain.

  This is done by dissolving,

  And again by saturating, I inform you:

  This must be undertaken first of all,

  So comest thou to the end of the fine art.

  After the whole purification hath been completed

  It will be prepared and boiled in the sun

  Or in the warm dung of its time,

  Which extendeth itself very far

  Until it becometh constant and perfect,

  And the treasure of the Wise is in it.

  The other ways are very subtle

  And many mighty one fail therein,

  For here is the purpose of the distillation

  And the sublimation of the Wise Men.

  The separation of the four elements

  Is also called by the Wise Men

  Air, water, and rectified fire.

  The earth on the ground hath mislead many,

  Having been deemed a worthless thing,

  Although all the power lieth in it.

  Some know not how to separate it

  From their Cortibus, therefore they fail.

  It was cast behind the door,

  But the Wise Man taketh it up again,

  Purifieth it snow-white and clear:

  This is the ground, I say in truth.

  But if thou dost wish to separate it,

  Note that it is of no little importance,

  For if they are not prepared

  Then you are in error, that I swear.

  Therefore thou must also have some vinegar

  Which is revealed to the Wise Men,

  Wherewith thou wilt effect the separation,

  So that nothing earthly remaineth in it any more,

  Till body and soul have to be separated,

  Otherwise called fire and earth

  And after they are thus purified,

  And thereupon followeth the mixture, observe!

  And so it cometh to a wondrous strength,

  The finished figures with the unfinished.

  And if the fire be likewise rightly controlled,

  It will be entirely perfect

  In much less time than a year

  Now thou hast the entire way in its length

  On which are not more than two paths.

  From these one soon wandereth and goeth astray,

  Else it all standeth clear and plain.

  The one is the water of the Wise Men, Which is the Mercurius alone.

  The other is called a vinegar,

  And it is known only to a very few.

  And this vinegar doth circle

  Away from the philosophical iron.

  It is Lord Aes whom it maketh glad.

  Therefore they have combined so closely

  Many hundred forms and names are given

  After each hath chosen it.

  One way springeth from the true source,

  A few have worked on it for a whole year.

  But many through their art and craft

  Have shortened so long a space of time.

  And quickly is the preparation set free

  As Alchemy doth point out.

  The preparation alone

  Maketh this stone great and glorious.

  Although there is but one matter

  It lacketh nothing else.

  But when it is clarified

  Its name hath misled many.

  However, I have revealed enough to thee

  In many ways, forms, and fashions.

  There are many names; I say

  Let not thyself be misled from the true way.

  In their scriptures the Elders write

  That it is a draught, a great poison.

  Others call it a snake, a monster,

  Which is not costly anywhere.

  It is common to all men

  Throughout the world, to rich and also to poor.

  It is the property of the metals

  Through which they conquer victoriously.

  The same is a perfection

  And setteth a golden crown upon it.

  Now the practice is completed

  For him who understandeth it and knoweth the matter.

  Only two things more are to be chosen

  Which thou wilt find by now

  If thou dost follow the right way

  And attend carefully to thy work.

  The composition is the one

  Which the Mise Men kept secret.

  The nature of the fire also hath hidden craft;

  Therefore its order is another.

  With that, one should, not deal too much

  Or else all execution is lost.

  One cannot be too subtle with it.

  As the hen hatcheth out the chick

  So also shall it be in the beginning,

  And time itself will prove it.

  For just as the fire is regulated

  Will this treasure itself be produced.

  Be industrious, constant, peaceful, and pious,

  And also ask God for His help:

  If thou dost obtain that, then always remember

  The poor and their needs.