标题：翠玉录
翠玉录的传说
这是最早传入欧洲的炼金术文献之一。有人认为，公元前332年，当亚历山大大帝征服埃及以后，他从“赫尔墨斯法老”的坟墓里发现了它。据说《翠玉录》的作者就是赫尔墨斯法老的父亲托特神，托特神也是埃及神话里冥界的掌管者，他也是传说中大家所熟悉的埃及神秘典籍《亡灵书》的作者。
传说炼金术起源自埃及。公元前1900年，埃及法老赫耳墨斯以及他传说中的父亲透特神（Toth)以及赫尔墨斯的大儿子大祭祀塔特（Tat）三人合为一 体，成为人们传说中的“赫尔墨斯神“。这三位一体的神将炼金术的知识浓缩为13句话，雕刻在一块祖母绿宝石板上，流传人世。人们称这段文字为“翠玉录 ”。（Emerald Tablet，或Smaragdine Table）。在中世纪，炼金术士们的工作间，都会挂着一份翠玉录的文字；这是他们所需的最终指导。对于赫尔墨斯哲学而言，它有如《道德经》对于道家和炼 丹的地位。炼金术把自己包装成一套实用技术，或许是为了让这套思想能够流传下去，而让真正的哲人能够看透表面的假象，把关于“物”的描述应用于“心”，获 得那潜藏在背后的灵性教诲。
翠玉录包含十三条言简意赅的箴言，指导个人如何凭借接触深邃、神性的精神层面，而一般的炼金术士们则解读为如何制取神秘的“哲人之石 （Philosopher's Stone）”，可以制造纯金；或者灵丹妙药（Elixir），可以长生不老。据说在公元前1350年，人们在埃及的一座金字塔下的一个密室里首次发现了 翠玉板。后来，翠玉板也曾经安置在宏大的亚历山大图书馆的走廊中间，图书馆被焚毁之后，翠玉板也不知所终，所幸有各种语言的抄本存世。
据说智慧的源泉赫耳墨斯传授了关于炼金术的主要原则，刻在一块祖母绿玉板上，称为《翠玉录》（Emerald Tablet，或Smaragdine Table）。在中世纪，炼金术士们的工作间，都会挂着一份翠玉录的文字，这是他们所需的最终指导。但我阅读全文，深表怀疑。翠玉录描述了世界的起源和构 造方式，阐述了太一大道的演化规律，与一般意义上的炼金毫无关系。炼金术士把它解读为如何制取神秘的哲人之石（Philosopher's Stone），凭借它制造纯金或者灵丹妙药（Elixir），这是把象征说法当作现实真相，是人类中经常发生的愚痴现象。《翠玉录》及其指导下的炼金术其 实本来是哲人们用于寻求智慧开悟、提升个人精神层次的思想和方法。
据说在公元前1350年，人们在埃及的一座金字塔下的一个密室里首次发现了翠玉录。
翠玉录的翻译
这里的英文版有说是20世纪初由一些拉丁文研究学者根据一份12世纪拉丁文手稿译出，也有说是科学家、炼金家牛顿的翻译。
1. 当我走进洞穴，我看到了一块翠玉，上面写着字，那是从赫尔墨斯的双手间被书写出来。从那里我发现了以下这些文字：
When I entered into the cave,I received the tablet zaradi,which was inscribed,from between the hands of Hermes,in which I discovered these word:
2. 真实不虚，永不说谎，必然带来真实：
This true without lying, certain & most true: 
3. 下如同上，上如同下；依此成全太一的奇迹。
That which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below to do ye miracles of one only thing.
4. 万物本是太一，藉由分化从太一创造出来。
And as all things have been and arose from one by ye mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation. 
翠玉录开篇提出了大宇宙和小宇宙的呼应关系，这是炼金术宇宙观的核心。《墨子》提出一个类似的说法“上同下比”，但墨子的意思是人的思想行为要比照天、比照神明，顺应天道。赫耳墨斯的意思则是，理念、宇宙、自然这个大宇宙，跟个人、心灵、灵魂这个小宇宙是一种一体、和谐、映射的关系，利用炼金的转变过程将性灵从物质中解放出来，既重造物质、又重塑心灵，将可重现宇宙太一亦即道、“一切万有”创造的奇迹。太一创造的方式就是新柏拉图主义的“发散”说法，就是从一个一体而充盈的最高实在，象太阳放射光芒一样层层分化出了理性、灵魂和物质世界，而无损于太一的圆满。 
5. 太阳为父，月亮为母，从风孕育，从地养护。
The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nourse.
6. 世间一切完美之源就在此处；其能力在地上最为完全。
The father of all perfection in ye whole world is here. Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
这里的主语说的是完善的性灵，太阳指的是不朽的精神或高层次的自我——心性，太阴即月亮则是低层次的自我，是高我的投影。风是指灵性的生命力，地是指物质的躯体。神性与躯体的联合、精神和物质的统一，是创造奇迹的源泉，实际上也是神秘体验的普遍原则。《道德经》说，“道生之，德蓄之，物形之，势成之”，“之”指的也是生命、性灵，道与德就像太阳、月亮，而形、成大略也跟孕育和养护有一定的对应。
7. 分土于火，萃精于糙，谨慎行之。
Separate thou ye earth from ye fire, ye subtile from the gross sweetly wth great indoustry.
8. 从地升天，又从天而降，获得其上、其下之能力。
It ascends from ye earth to ye heaven & again it desends to ye earth and receives ye force of things superior & inferior. 
9. 如此可得世界的荣耀、远离黑暗蒙昧。 
By this means you shall have ye glory of ye whole world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
这里是说，在追求上述阴阳联合之前，必须分清属物和属灵的东西，分清灵性的呼唤和物质的欲望，才能体现真我的光辉。当一个人超越了阴与阳、自我与心性的对立，寻求到不朽的灵性，就从现实的存在中觉醒，获得通觉智慧、找到光明。再回到现实生活，一切都了然。 
10. 此为万力之力，摧坚拔韧。
Its force is above all force, for it vanquishes every subtile thing & penetrates every solid thing.
11.世界即如此创造，依此可达奇迹。
So was ye world created. From this are & do come admirable adaptations whereof ye process is here in this.
12.我被称为三重伟大的赫尔墨斯，因我拥有世界三部分的智慧。
Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of ye philosophy of ye whole world.
13.这就是我所说的伟大工作。
That which I have said of ye operation of ye Sun is accomplished & ended.
这里所说的“力”，就是在炼金成功后所获得的贯通上下的能力，是最具有创造力的，因为他明了所经历的人生正像内在宇宙的外在投射。通过澈悟而达到的精神永恒，也将超越时间的局限，而时间是物质世界一切限制中最坚不可摧的。而赫尔墨斯号称拥有世界三部分的智慧，可能是因为他是埃及透特、希腊倒赫尔墨斯、罗马墨丘利三位同类神祇的融合，但更可能说是对理念、灵魂和物质这三个层面而言。翠玉录所谓伟大的工作，就是指从启蒙到开悟的漫长而宏伟的旅程。
其他翻译
阿拉伯语的翻译版本A new translation bypassing the Latin has just been published by Nineveh Shadrach from the original Arabic of Book on the Secret of Creation (also named Book of the Causes) attributed to Apollonius of Tyana.
It contains an accurate commentary that can't be doubted.
It states: What is the above is from the below and the below is from the above. The work of wonders is from One.
And all things sprang from this essence through a single projection. How marvelous is its work! It is the principle [sic] part of the world and its custodian.
Its father is the sun and its mother is the moon. Thus the wind bore it within it and the earth nourished it.
Father of talismans and keeper of wonders.
Perfect in power that reveals the lights.
It is a fire that became our earth. Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdom.
It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights. Therefore the darkness flees from it.
The greatest power overcomes everything that is subtle and it penetrates all that is coarse.
The formation of the microcosm is in accordance with the formation of the macrocosm.
The scholars made this their path.
This is why Thrice Hermes was exalted with wisdom.
This is his last book that he hid in the catacomb.Newton的翻译版本One translation, by Isaac Newton, found among his alchemical papers as reported by B. J. Dobbs in modern spelling:
This 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 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 and inferior.
By this means ye 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 and penetrates every solid thing.
So was the world created.
From this are and 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 and ended.Beatus的翻译版本Another translation from Aureliae Occultae Philosophorum by Georg Beatus:
This is true and remote from all cover of falsehood.
Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing are procured and perfected.
Also, as all things are made from one, by the consideration of one, so all things were made from this one, by conjunction.
The father of it is the sun, the mother the moon.
The wind bore it in the womb. Its nurse is the earth, the mother of all perfection.
Its power is perfected.
If it is turned into earth,
Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle and thin from the crude and coarse, prudently, with modesty and wisdom.
This ascends from the earth into the sky and again descends from the sky to the earth, and receives the power and efficacy of things above and of things below.
By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows and blindness.
For this by its fortitude snatches the palm from all other fortitude and power. For it is able to penetrate and subdue everything subtle and everything crude and hard.
By this means the world was founded
And hence the marvelous cojunctions of it and admirable effects, since this is the way by which these marvels may be brought about.
And because of this they have called me Hermes Tristmegistus since I have the three parts of the wisdom and Philosophy of the whole universe.
My speech is finished which I have spoken concerning the solar work.拉丁语文本Original edition of the Latin text. (Chrysogonus Polydorus, Nuremberg 1541):
Verum, sine mendatio, certum et verissimum:
Quod est inferius est sicut quod est superius, et quod est superius est sicut quod est inferius, ad perpetranda miracula rei unius.
Et sicut res omnes fuerunt ab uno, meditatione unius, sic omnes res natae ab hac una re, adaptatione.
Pater eius est Sol. Mater eius est Luna, portavit illud Ventus in ventre suo, nutrix eius terra est.
Pater omnis telesmi totius mundi est hic.
Virtus eius integra est si versa fuerit in terram.
Separabis terram ab igne, subtile ab spisso, suaviter, magno cum ingenio.
Ascendit a terra in coelum, iterumque descendit in terram, et recipit vim superiorum et inferiorum.
Sic habebis Gloriam totius mundi.
Ideo fugiet a te omnis obscuritas.
Haec est totius fortitudinis fortitudo fortis, quia vincet omnem rem subtilem, omnemque solidam penetrabit.
Sic mundus creatus est.
Hinc erunt adaptationes mirabiles, quarum modus est hic. Itaque vocatus sum Hermes Trismegistus, habens tres partes philosophiae totius mundi.
Completum est quod dixi de operatione Solis.现代润色版本[It is] true, without a lie, certain and most true,
That which is below is as that which is above, and that which is above is as that which is below, to perform the miracles of the one thing.
And as all things were from the one, by means of the meditation of the one, thus all things were born from the one, by means of adaptation.
Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon, the Wind carried it in its belly, its nurse is the earth.
The father of the whole world [or "of all of the initiates"?] is here.
Its power is whole if it has been turned into earth.
You will separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the dense, sweetly, with great skill.
It ascends from earth into heaven and again it descends to the earth, and receives the power of higher and of lower things.
Thus you will have the Glory of the whole world.
Therefore will all obscurity flee from you.
Of all strength this is true strength, because it will conquer all that is subtle, and penetrate all that is solid.
Thus was the world created.
From this were wonderful adaptations, of which this is the means. Therefore am I named Thrice-Great Hermes, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
It is finished, what I have said about the working[s] of the Sun.