Full Translation:
Tis true without lying, certain & most true.
That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below
to do the miracles of one only thing.
And as all things have been & arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.
The Sun is its father, the Moon its mother,
the wind hath carried it in its belly, the Earth is its nurse.
The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.
Its force or power is entire if it be converted into Earth.
Separate thou the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry.
It ascends from the Earth to the heaven & again it descends to the Earth
and receives the force of things superior & inferior.
By this means you shall have the glory of the whole world
& thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
Its force is above all force. For it vanquishes every subtle thing & penetrates every solid thing.
So was the world created.
From this are & do come admirable adaptations
whereof the means (or process) is here in this.
Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished & ended.
Translation Context
Newton's translation of the Emerald Tablet, composed in the late 17th century, reflects his deep involvement with both alchemical experimentation and esoteric theology. While renowned for laying the foundation of modern physics, Newton also spent vast amounts of time decoding alchemical manuscripts and biblical prophecy.
At the time of translating the Tablet, Newton was an initiated Freemason. His affiliation with esoteric societies gave him access to a wealth of symbolic interpretations, and it is likely that he viewed Hermetic principles as the metaphysical scaffold behind natural law.
Fun fact: Newton is also now widely believed to have been gay—a detail long obscured by historical bias, but one that subtly echoes the secret-keeping that surrounded much of his private life and esoteric work. Newton’s Emerald Tablet translation is not just academic—it is reverent, formal, and structured to mirror a sacred logic, aligning with his belief that divine law and physical law were one and the same.
Axiom-by-Axiom Interpretive Notes
Axiom 1: “Tis true without lying, certain & most true” reflects Enlightenment values of certainty and rationality. Newton’s phrasing repositions the Tablet’s metaphysical claim as a logical axiom, blending mystical reverence with early scientific epistemology.
Axiom 4: “Have their birth from this one thing by adaptation” shows Newton’s preference for procedural language—less poetic than other renderings. “Adaptation” hints at natural law and transformation through design rather than mystical emanation.
Axiom 8: “Separate thou the Earth from the Fire… sweetly with great industry” is softened compared to Latin or Arabic sources. “Sweetly” suggests harmony, while “industry” reflects Protestant work-ethic and alchemical rigor. It’s a fusion of mystic ethics and scientific labor.
Axiom 11: “It vanquishes every subtle thing & penetrates every solid thing” retains paradox but adds force. The word “vanquishes” suggests triumph through mechanism—resonant with Newtonian physics where force governs both subtle and gross domains.
Axiom 17: “Operation of the Sun is accomplished & ended” is uniquely conclusive. Newton’s formulation closes the Tablet like a proof: clean, contained, absolute. It reflects his lifelong quest to find a unified divine mechanism underlying reality.