Subject: RE: [lojban] Purpose of bridi

From: "Craig" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 14:22:24 -0400

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