CORPUS
hermeticum
Hermes Trimegistro
This hermetic library reflects the texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, the thrice great, father of
Hermetic philosophy. The source of these texts are manuscripts of the end of the Middle Ages and the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It is believed that in turn manuscripts are copies of others who have been lost in the course of human history. Translated texts come from the Greek version of
Asclepius except the manuscript is in Latin. It is believed that the Greek version is a translation of the original Egyptian.
Translated by J. Sanguinetti
Poimandres
One time I had put thinking beings, absorbed imagination in the heights of thought, absent the senses as one who sleeps soundly after a heavy meal or strenuous physical exercise, I felt an immense being appeared, of unmatched size, he called me by name and said: - What do you hear and see, understand and know what you want in your mind?
Who are you?, I said:
- I am Poimandres, he said, the Supreme Mind Power: know what you want, and everywhere'm with you.
I want to learn about the things I said, and understand their nature, and know the God. Oh! how I wish someone would teach me about these topics!
- Save in your mind what you want to learn I'll show you.
And when he had said these things, it changed shape, and in an instant the whole space opened up before me, and I saw an …