From Fulcanelli (trans. Sieveking):
1) This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
2) As below, so above; and as above so below. With this knowledge alone you may work miracles.
3) And since all things exist in and emanate from the ONE Who is the ultimate Cause, so all things are born after their kind from this ONE.
4) The Sun is the father, the Moon the mother;
5) the wind carried it in his belly. Earth is its nurse and its guardian.
6) It is the Father of all things,
6a) the eternal Will is contained in it.
7) Here, on earth, its strength, its power remain one and undivided.
7a) Earth must be separated from fire, the subtle from the dense, gently with unremitting care.
8) It arises from the earth and descends from heaven; it gathers to itself the strength of things above and things below.
9) By means of this one thing all the glory of the world shall be yours and all obscurity flee from you.
10) It is power, strong with the strength of all power, for it will penetrate all mysteries and dispel all ignorance.
11a) By it the world was created.
12) From it are born manifold wonders, the means to achieving which are here given
13) It is for this reason that I am called Hermes Trismegistus; for I possess the three essentials of the philosophy of the universe.
14) This is the sum total of the work of the Sun.
From Fulcanelli (Alternate Translation):
1) It is true without untruth, certain and most true:
2) that which is below is like that which is on high, and that which is on high is like that which is below; by these things are made the miracles of one thing.
3) And as all things are, and come from One, by the mediation of One, So all things are born from this unique thing by adaption.
4) The Sun is the father and the Moon the mother.
5) The wind carries it in its stomach. The earth is its nourisher and its receptacle.
6) The Father of all the Theleme of the universal world is here.
6a) Its force, or power, remains entire,
7) if it is converted into earth.
7a) You separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, gently with great industry.
8) It climbs from the earth and descends from the sky, and receives the force of things superior and things inferior.
9) You will have by this way, the glory of the world and all obscurity will flee from you.
10) It is the power strong with all power, for it will defeat every subtle thing and penetrate every solid thing
11a) In this way the world was created.
12) From it are born wonderful adaptations, of which the way here is given.
13) That is why I have been called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the universal philosophy.
14) This, that I have called the solar Work, is complete.
Translation Context
Fulcanelli, the mysterious French alchemist and architect-symbolist of the early 20th century, offered his interpretation of the Emerald Tablet during a period of renewed occult interest in post-WWI France. His identity remains debated, but his influence is legendary among symbolic alchemists.
These two English translations of Fulcanelli’s Tablet text reveal two lenses on the same transmission. The Sieveking version (1972) emphasizes poetic finality and certainty. The alternate version, likely translated directly from his original *Le Mystère des Cathédrales* (1964), favors a closer, more literal tone—emphasizing structural metaphysics and the role of “Theleme,” a concept that echoes spiritual will.
Both versions reflect Fulcanelli’s fusion of alchemical initiation, Gothic architecture, and esoteric Christianity. Note his emphasis on “power,” “glory,” and the mechanics of purification—suggesting transformation is both physical and revelatory.
Axiom-by-Axiom Comparative Commentary
Axiom 2: The Sieveking phrasing (“With this knowledge alone you may work miracles”) carries magical potency, while the 1964 version keeps it procedural and metaphysical.
Axiom 6: “Theleme of the universal world” (alt) vs. “eternal Will is contained in it” (Sieveking). The former emphasizes directed creative force; the latter suggests immanence of divine agency.
Axiom 7a: The alternate stresses “gently with great industry,” whereas Sieveking says “unremitting care.” Both describe the same principle: mastery requires patience and precision.
Axiom 10: Sieveking’s version expands on “penetrate all mysteries and dispel all ignorance”—language suited for initiatory rites, while the alternate remains subtle and technical.