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2 Translation of the first part
The Book of Talismans of Thebis according to Ptolemy and Hermes, translated from Arabic by Adelard of Bath.
<preface>
Whoever is learned in geometry and philosophy but does not know astronomy is useless, since astronomy is both the most excellent of all arts in subject matter and the most useful in the efficacy of talismans.
So, I found these instructions of knowledge in the books of talisman […]
[Work in progress]
[…] but Ptolemy* disagrees with them, since he says that the artificial talismans (ymagines) of the world are subject to the zodiacal signs (ymagines circulares), meaning by this that the talismans of particular (animals) which, below the sphere of the moon, undergo dissolution and reconstitution, are subject to the zodiacal signs. For example, the particular lion obeys the zodiacal Leo, but the particular scorpion and serpent obey the zodiacal Scorpion (and the constellation) Hydra (Serpens).
[Work in progress]
1.48-67: Deinceps vero pro eo cuius ei amorem dare intendis ymaginem secundam cum horoscopo <et> a themate undecimo eliciendum est. Hiis ergo perfectis, in unaquaque earum nomen suum atque cognomen scribendum est. Postea vero ita disponantur, secunda primam sequente, nomenque prime quolibet scriptum pectori, secunda ex parte cordis aperte conferatur. Deinde anuli dominorum horoscopi et undecimi in panno mundo aut pelle virginea pingendi, pelleque ghalia et camphora affecto (MMS: affecte) ymagines supradicte involvende sunt; prius tamen croco et xilo aloes et thure fumigate. Hec itaque tribus continuis noctibus corpore et habitu mundus exequatur, hora actionis hoc modo perorans: „O fulgentes istarum stellarum spiritus ab elaalem-mundo maiori (/superiori)-descendentes, boni ac mali efficaces, spiritum Socratis Sophronici cordi Platonis adhibete; sit eorum voluntas et petitio una; absit tedium et repula; non absit ymaginatio et memoria. Adestote item, stellarum istarum spiritus, non solum diebus set et in sompnis et noctibus. Ymaginem eius ei prefigurate usque quo, omni alio affetu excluso, se illi prebeat, Creatoris potentia.“ Hoc itaque facto, eedem ymagines cinculo domini<s> signorum predictorum connaturali constringende sunt. Deinde in domo cuiuslibet eorum in eorumdem transitu ita et eventilentur, sed a Sole nullatenus irradientur reponende, stella aliqua prospera in presenti repositionis horoscopo existente.
1.65-70: obtaining favor of the king
1.85-88: conclusion to the first part of the text, which once again runs through some of the astrological considerations to be taken into account, and lists the species of metal to be used, which are determined by the ascendant and the place belonging to the topic.
1.82: signet rings
1.85: Ymago vero stagnea aut plumbea, ferrea, enea aut aurea aut argentea, pro qualitate horoscopi et thematis, facienda est = talisman should be made of tin, lead, iron, bronze or silver according to the nature of the horoscope and the topic“ (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Sun, Moon)
3 Translation of the second part
2.1-10: begins with some general principles, this time in respect to casting a talisman for a bad effect. In this case, instead of the five metals, five ignoble materials are listed: pitch, clay (if alitice = at.-t.îna), aloe, bitumen and tar (alketran = al-qatrân)
2.1-2, 10: getting two people to hate each other = shared
2.10: „prece abhominationis et discidii interdicta“
2.13. Unidentifiable quotation: „unde Aristotiles: si supradictis Mercurius adhibeatur. implacabile odium excrescet.“
2.14-17; 21-23: regaining a stolen or lost object = shared
2.15: „Pimo itaque elkalib in quo atalecim in hoc libro descripta evacuabuntur hoc modo aperiendum est.“
2.18: „eadem invocatio prece mutata exhibenda“
2.24-28, 30: acquiring wealth = shared
2.34, 37, 38: signet rings
2.51-59: destroying a city (51-55, 57) or a man (56) or strengthening a city (58-59) = shared
2.54-55: „…inter <humandum> hec oratio dicenda est: ‚Illud prestigium huius loci destructio sit‘.“
2.56 Also, for doing evil to a person, the same instruction applies.
2.64: signet rings
2.66-76: for driving out scorpions = shared
2.74: „… inter humandum hec oratio dicatur: „Hec species – <et> omnis sui generis species – a loco presenti, verbi gratia a Batonia – fuget, ut nulla earum vel intrare vel inhabitare queat“
2.77: sculpting of the image of a scorpion on a bezoar. This detail, attributed to Ptolemy, comes from the commentary of Ahmad ibn Yusuf to verbum 9 of Centiloquium: „Super his autem Ptolomeus ait sic: Siquis scorpionis ymaginem in bezahar sculpat, Luna hore dominante, eadem in Scorpione existente, Scorpione etiam quantum ad horoscopum firmo, gemma in aureo anulo, anulo vero in olibano impresso, olibano vero ab homine hausto. Luna item in Scorpione existente, a scorpionis veneno si quis tactus fuerit, post exhaustum liberabitur.“ (He took the cloth in which there were seals smelling of frankincense, and he gave him a seal and ordered him to grind and drink all of it, and on drinking it he immediately recovered. He showed me a gold signet ring, its stone being bezoar in the form of a scorpion… he had sculpted it when the Moon was in Scorpius in one of the cardines of the ascendant, and he had impressed it on a bit of frankincense which was chewed when the Moon was in Scorpius.“
2.78-94: the second part ends with some astrological information promised in 1.11. Adelard concludes by saying that „all these doctrines, as well as those listed at the beginning are explained in Introductions and should be established in the mind of the student, so that the practitioner should not be found lacking in the operation of talismans“ / „Et hec quidem omnia ceteraque circa principium enumerata in ysagogis exposita studiosa mente firmanda sunt, ut prestigiorum facultate artifex non decidat.“
somewhere: „Nos autem electionis facultatem promissam solvamus“, „renes, nervi, testiculi“
elmelik (al-malik) = regis; elkeudduc (al-quddûs) = sancti; elhai (al-h.ayy) = immortalis; edemi (ad-dâ)imî) = immobilis; noram (nûran) = lucem; eian/iean (?) = illuminationem
Notes
* Referring to Pseudo-Ptolemy, Centiloquium, verbum 9, with the commentary of Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf.
SARTRIX 