Type 3220
(formerly typ/1352)
| Τὴν βίβλον ὄλβον ὥσπερ ἐγκεκρυμμένον | |
| ἔχουσαν ἄθρει τήνδε, πᾶς Μουσῶν φίλος. | |
| Ἀλλ’ εἰ θελήσοις τὰς πολυχρύσους φλέβας | |
| ταύτης ἐρευνᾶν τὰς σοφῶς κεκρυμμένας | |
| νοὸς τὸ φαιδρὸν ὄμμα πρὸς θείας φύσεις | |
| ὕψει διάρας πανσόφοις εὐοπτίαις | |
| οὕτω γραφὴν δίελθε τὴν σοφωτάτην, | |
| καὶ πλοῦτον εὕρῃς γνώσεως ὑπερτέρας | |
| ζητῶν, ἐρευνῶν τὴν τρισολβίαν φύσιν, | |
| μόνην φύσεις νικῶσαν, ἐνθέῳ τρόπῳ, | |
| καὶ χρυσὸν αἰγλήεντα τίκτουσαν μόνην, | |
| τὴν παντοποιόν, ἢν φρεσὶν μουσοστόλοις | |
| θείας ἐρασταὶ γνώσεως εὗρον μόνοι. | |
| Ταύτην ἐφευρών (μὴ γὰρ ὅστις ᾖ φράσω) | |
| θαύμαζε νοῦν φρόνησιν ἀνδρῶν ἐνθέων, | |
| ὡς δημιουργῶν σωμάτων καὶ πνευμάτων, | |
| πῶς ἔσχον οὕτως γνώσεως ὕψος μέγα | |
| ψυχοῦν, ἀποκτένειν τε καὶ ζωοῦν πάλιν, | |
| ὥστε ξένως πλάττειν τε καὶ μορφοῦν ξένως. | |
| Ὦ θαῦμα, τὴν ἄνασσαν ὕλην ὀλβίαν! | |
| ἧσπερ διαγνοὺς καὶ μαθὼν τὰς ἐκβάσεις | |
| αἰνιγματωδῶς ἔνδον ἐγκεκρυμμένας, | |
| ὁ νοῦς ὁ παγγέραστος, αἱ κλειναὶ φρένες, | |
| Θεοδώρου πλουτοῦντος ἐνθέοις τρόποις | |
| πιστοῦ τελοῦντος δεσποτῶν παραστάτου | |
| συνῆψεν, ἐντέθεικε συλλογὴν ξένην | |
| ἐν τῇδε βίβλῳ πανσόφων νοημάτων, | |
| ὅνπερ σκέπων φύλαττε, Χριστὲ παντάναξ. |
| Text source | A. Roberts 2020, A Greek Alchemical Epigram in its Middle Byzantine Context, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 83, 1-36: 5 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Critical text |
| Genre(s) | |
| Metre(s) | Dodecasyllable |
| Subject(s) | |
| Tag(s) | |
| Translation(s) |
This book containing bliss, hidden as it were - gaze upon it, every Muses’ friend! But should you wish its gold-rich veins to probe, so wisely hidden, then lift your mind’s bright eye towards godly natures, to the peak, by all-wise splendours, and scrutinise this way the wisest writing, and you will find a wealth of higher knowledge as you seek and search for the thrice-happy nature that alone vanquishes natures in a god-inspired way and alone begets dazzling gold and makes everything; with their Muse-decorated wits, lovers of divine knowledge alone have found it. When you discover this nature (for let me not say who it is), wonder at the mind, the thought, of god-inspired men, for they are demiurges of bodies and spirits, at how they thus acquired the peak of knowledge, to endow with a soul, to kill and to give life again, so as strangely to fashion and strangely to mould. O what a marvel: the queen blessed matter! Discerning and learning her transformations, hidden enigmatically within, the mind renowned by all, the famous wits, of Theodore, rich in god-inspired ways, being a faithful companion of lords, put together a strange collection, placed it in this book of all-wise thoughts; protect and defend him, Christ, king of all! |
| Comment | The epigram is also preserved in the 16th century manuscripts Kassel, Landesbibliothek, Chem. 2° 001 (ff. IIr-v) and El Escorial, Real Biblioteca, Ψ. I. 13 (f. 2v). |
| Bibliography |
Primary
|
| Number of verses | 28 |
| Occurrence(s) |
[19049] τὴν βίβλον ὄλβον ὥσπερ ἐγκεκρυμμένον
[951-1000]
VENICE - Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana - gr. Z. 299 (coll. 584) [951-1000] (f. 5v) (28 verses) |
| Acknowledgements |
Creator(s)
Contributor(s)
The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete. |
| Identification | Vassis ICB 2005, 729: "In collectionem scriptorum alchemicorum a Theodoro confectam" |
| Permalink | https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/3220 |
Last modified: 2021-05-19.
