From ragnarok@pobox.com Mon Jun 11 11:24:00 2001 Return-Path: X-Sender: raganok@intrex.net X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_1_3); 11 Jun 2001 18:23:59 -0000 Received: (qmail 54458 invoked from network); 11 Jun 2001 18:22:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.142) by l9.egroups.com with QMQP; 11 Jun 2001 18:22:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO intrex.net) (209.42.192.246) by mta3 with SMTP; 11 Jun 2001 18:22:23 -0000 Received: from Craig [209.42.200.34] by intrex.net (SMTPD32-5.05) id AC5F907000AE; Mon, 11 Jun 2001 14:22:23 -0400 Reply-To: To: Subject: RE: [lojban] Purpose of bridi Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 14:22:24 -0400 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) In-Reply-To: <20010611111409.M2481@digitalkingdom.org> Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 X-eGroups-From: "Craig" From: "Craig" X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 7809 It's the inscription found/written by somebody (allegedly it was found by Alexander the great) and supposedly writen by the Greek god Hermes. Its text is rather cryptic but was used for centuries by alchemists as a set of maxims for their work, when they could understand it. The original was in Syriac, whatever we call that now (I've only heard of Syriac in medieval and Rennaisance texts), but it only survives in English, Latin, and French (and most of the English were translated from the Latin) with some REALLY sketchy versions in Arabic. The version of the text that I personally like is this: True, without all falsity, certain and most true. That which is inferior is as that which is superior, and that which is superior is as that which is inferior, for the accomplishing of the miracles of one thing. And as all things were from one, by the mediation of one, so all things have proceeded from this one thing by adaptation. The Father thereof is the sun, and the Mother thereof the moon. The wind carried it in its belly. The nurse thereof is the earth. The father of all the perfection of the whole world is this. The virtue thereof is entire, if it be turned into earth. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the thick, sweetly, with a great deal of judgment. It ascends from the earth up to heaven, and again descends down to the earth, and receives the powers of superiors and inferiors. So you have the glory of the whole world. Therefore let all obscurity fly from you. This is the strong fortitude of the whole fortitude, because it shall overcome everything that is subtle and penetrate every solid thing, as the world is created. Hence shall wonderful adaptations be, whereof this is the manner, wherefore I am called Hermes Trismegistus, having three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. It is complete, what I have spoken of the operation of the sun. (John French translation, c. 1650) There are other translations that sound better, but that's the most understandable. --la kreig.daniyl 'segu temci fa le bavli gi mi'o ba renvi lo purci .i ga la fonxa cu janbe gi du mi' -la djimis.BYFet xy.sy. gubmau ckiku cmesanji: 0x5C3A1E74