1.1 Ego I Iōannēs John Pīcus Pico Mīrandulānus of Mirandola quī who annōs years trēs three et and vīgintī twenty nātus born nōngentās nine hundred conclūsiōnēs conclusions Rōmae at Rome dēfendere to defend parābam was preparing fābulam a story vōbīs to you nārrābō will tell quam which dē about mē me nārrant tell aliī others
1.2 Nam for paucīs by a few mēnsibus months antequam before ōrātiōnem oration illam that scrīpsī I wrote quae which nunc now dē about dignitāte the dignity hominis of man īnscrībitur is entitled rem a thing fēcī I did quae which dignitātī dignity minimē least of all convēnit befitted
1.3 Fāma the rumour est is mē me Arrētiī at Arezzo mulierem a woman nūptam married rapuisse to have carried off
1.4 Arrētīnī the Aretines dīcunt say mē me tamquam like praedōnem a robber in into urbem the city vēnisse to have come et and uxōrem the wife cīvis of a citizen honestī respectable per by vim force abdūxisse to have led away
1.5 Flōrentīnī the Florentines rīdentēs laughing nārrant relate iuvenem the young man doctissimum most learned quī who tot so many linguās languages didicisset had learned artem the art amandī of loving nōn not didicisse to have learned
1.6 Rōmae at Rome vērō but ubi where posteā afterwards iūdicēs judges meī my sedēbant were sitting trāditum est it has been handed down eum him quī who Deum God cum with Platōne Plato conciliāre to reconcile vellet wished nē not sē himself quidem even cum with lēgibus the laws conciliāre to reconcile potuisse to have been able
1.7 Trēs three fābulae stories sunt there are et and nūlla none tōta wholly falsa false est is
1.8 Ego I quī who omnēs all philosophōrum of the philosophers sectās the schools dē about ūnā one vēritāte truth cōnsentīre to agree docēbam used to teach hās these trēs three fāmās rumours in into ūnam one cōgere to force together nōn not possum I am able
1.9 Audīte hear igitur therefore quid what ipse I myself meminerim I remember et and vōs you iūdicāte judge
2.1 Erat there was Arrētiī at Arezzo mulier a woman nōmine by name Margarīta Margherita quae who Iūliānō to Giuliano Mariottī of Mariotto fīliō the son Laurentiī of Lorenzo Medicis de' Medici cognātō a kinsman nūpserat had married
2.2 Hanc her ego I vīdī saw et and vīsam once seen amāvī I loved sed but quid what illa she dē about mē me sēnserit felt hoc this est is quod what fāma rumour nescit does not know
2.3 Aliī some eam her invītam unwilling raptam esse to have been carried off affirmant assert aliī others eam her ipsam herself dē about fugā the flight mēcum with me cōnstituisse to have agreed susurrant whisper
2.4 Ego I quī who tunc then nihil nothing dubitābam was doubting nunc now dubitō doubt et and dubitāre to doubt melius better esse to be arbitror I judge quam than prō for illā her loquī to speak
2.5 Hoc this tantum only sciō I know eam her numquam never rogāvī I asked quid what ipsa she herself vellet wanted quia because ipse I myself quid what vellem I wanted tam so clārē clearly sciēbam knew
2.6 Eō at that tempore time commentārium a commentary Etrūscē in Tuscan scrībēbam I was writing in on carmen the song amīcī of friend meī my Hierōnymī Girolamo Benivenī Benivieni quod which dē about amōre love caelestī heavenly canit sings
2.7 Ibi there docēbam I was teaching amōrem love vērum true ā from pulchritūdine the beauty corporis of the body ad to pulchritūdinem the beauty animī of the soul ab from animī that of the soul ad to mentis that of the mind ā from mentis that of the mind ad to ipsum himself Deum God ascendere to climb
2.8 Scrībēbam I was writing dē about scālīs ladders sed but in on īmō the lowest gradū step stābam I was standing neque and not id it intellegēbam was I understanding
3.1 Ante diem sextum Īdūs Maiās on the sixth day before the Ides of May annō in the year salūtis of salvation mīllēsimō thousandth quadringentēsimō four hundredth octōgēsimō eightieth sextō sixth Arrētiō from Arezzo equīs on horses ēgressī sumus we went out
3.2 Mēcum with me erant were famulī servants et and amīcī friends et and Margarīta Margherita inter among nōs us iter the way in into agrum the territory Senēnsem Sienese tendēbāmus we were directing
3.3 Cōnstat it is agreed nōs us celeriter quickly equitāvisse to have ridden cōnstat it is agreed item likewise Arrētīnōs the Aretines celerius more quickly secūtōs esse to have followed
3.4 Nōndum not yet fīnēs the borders attigerāmus had we reached cum when post behind tergum the back clāmōrem shouting armōrumque and of arms strepitum the clatter audīvimus we heard
3.5 Iūliānus Giuliano enim for ut as ferunt they report uxōre his wife āmissā having been lost cīvēs the citizens armāverat had armed et and illī they quod because iniūriam the wrong urbis of city suae their own ulcīscī to avenge cupiēbant were longing libentissimē most gladly arma arms cēperant had taken up
3.6 Quid what deinde then factum sit was done vix hardly nārrāre to tell possum I am able quia because pugna the fight brevis short et and tumultuōsa confused fuit was
3.7 Famulōs servants meōs my plērōsque most occīsōs esse to have been killed posteā afterwards audīvī I heard tunc then nihil nothing audiēbam I was hearing praeter except equum horse meum my et and cor heart meum my
3.8 Hominēs men quī who mē me amābant loved quī who librōs books meōs my portāverant had carried quī who lucernās lamps meās my nocte at night accenderant had lit propter because of cupiditātem desire meam my in in pulvere the dust iacēbant were lying
3.9 Ego I vīvus alive captus sum was captured Margarīta Margherita ad to virum her husband reducta est was led back
4.1 Paucōs for a few diēs days in in custōdiā custody fuī I was
4.2 Laurentium Lorenzo Medicem de' Medici prō on behalf of mē me intercessisse to have intervened cōnstat it is agreed quid what dē about mē me sēcum with himself sēnserit he thought nōn not cōnstat it is agreed
4.3 In in custōdiā custody nūllōs no librōs books habēbam I had itaque and so prīmum for the first time post after multōs many annōs years sine without librīs books cōgitāre to think coāctus sum I was compelled
4.4 Cōgitābam I was thinking autem moreover dē about eō that quod which philosophī the philosophers omnēs all dē about homine man dīcunt say eum him medium midway esse to be inter between bēstiās the beasts et and angelōs the angels
4.5 Hanc this sententiam opinion saepe often in in scholīs the schools dēfenderam I had defended quasi as if ōrnāmentum an ornament disputātiōnis of disputation
4.6 Nunc now vērō however sentiēbam I was feeling eam it nōn not ōrnāmentum an ornament esse to be sed but perīculum a danger
4.7 Sī if enim for homō man medius in the middle est is in in mediō the middle nōn not manet he remains sed but aut either ascendit he climbs aut or dēscendit he descends
4.8 Lapis a stone semper always lapis a stone est is et and leō a lion semper always leō a lion et and angelus an angel semper always angelus an angel sōlus alone homō man fierī to become potest is able quod what nōn not est he is
4.9 Et and ego I quī who angelus an angel fierī to become cupiēbam was longing intrā within ūnum one diem day factus eram had become equus horse ille that Platōnis of Plato quī which frēna the reins nōn not patitur endures
5.1 Līberātus having been freed Perusiam Perugia petiī I made for deinde then Frattam Fratta oppidulum a little town nōn not longē far inde from there situm situated
5.2 Ibi there mēcum with me habitābat was living Flāvius Flavius Mithridātēs Mithridates homō a man Iūdaeīs from Jewish parentibus parents nātus born quī who Chrīstiānus a Christian factus erat had become et and linguās the languages Hebraeam Hebrew et and Chaldaicam Chaldean callēbat knew well
5.3 Is he mē me litterās the letters Hebraeās Hebrew docēbat was teaching et and librōs the books Cabalistārum of the Kabbalists mihi for me in into Latīnum Latin vertēbat was turning
5.4 Hominem the man difficilem difficult fuisse to have been fateor I confess mercēdem a fee semper always maiōrem greater poscēbat he was demanding et and in in librīs the books quōs which vertēbat he was turning haud not rārō seldom sua his own verba words sapientium of the sages Hebraeōrum Hebrew verbīs with the words miscēbat he was mixing
5.5 Docēbat he taught tamen nevertheless bene well
5.6 Prīmō on the first diē day mihi to me dīxit he said apud among Cabalistās the Kabbalists trādī to be handed down mundum the world litterīs by letters creātum esse to have been created et and eum him quī who litterās the letters rēctē rightly iungere to join scīret knew how ipsam the very mundī of the world fabricam fabric tangere to touch
5.7 Dīxit he said item likewise nōmina the names dīvīna divine nōn not sonōs sounds vānōs empty esse to be sed but vīrēs powers
5.8 Respondī I replied ut as iuvenis a young man mē me haec these things iam already ex from Platōne Plato et and ex from Mercuriō Mercury Trismegistō Thrice-Greatest didicisse to have learned
5.9 Ille he subrīsit smiled et and dīxit said mē me multa many things ex from Platōne Plato scīre to know sed but nōndum not yet didicisse to have learned prīmam the first litteram letter quae which tacet is silent
5.10 Aleph aleph enim for quae which prīma first est is apud among Hebraeōs the Hebrews nūllum no per by sē itself sonum sound habet has sed but quamlibet any you please vōcālem vowel accipere to receive potest is able
5.11 Tum then prīmum for the first time intellēxī I understood hominem man esse to be tamquam like Aleph aleph per by sē himself nihil nothing sonāre to sound et and omnia all things sonāre to sound posse to be able
6.1 Illā in that aestāte summer dum while litterās the letters discō I learn ōrātiōnem an oration scrībere to write coepī I began quam which ante before disputātiōnem disputation meam my Rōmae at Rome habēre to deliver volēbam I wanted
6.2 In in eā it Deum God ad to Adam Adam loquentem speaking indūxī I brought on et and haec these verba words eī to him dedī I gave
6.3 Nec neither certam a fixed sēdem seat nec nor propriam one's own faciem face nec nor mūnus office ūllum any peculiāre peculiar tibi to you dedimus have we given ō O Adam Adam
6.4 Poteris you will be able in into īnferiōra the lower things quae which sunt are bruta brutish dēgenerāre to degenerate poteris you will be able in into superiōra the higher things quae which sunt are dīvīna divine ex by tuī of your animī mind sententiā the judgement regenerārī to be reborn
6.5 Haec these verba words quī those who legunt read laudem a praise hominis of man esse to be putant think et and rēctē rightly putant they think sed but tōtam the whole rem matter nōn not vident they see
6.6 Nēmō no one enim for prīmam the first partem part huius of this sententiae sentence vērē truly scrībere to write potest is able nisi except quī one who eam it in in sē himself expertus est has experienced
6.7 Ego I bruta the brutish things nōn not ex from librīs books nōveram had come to know sed but ex from viā the road Senēnsī Sienese
6.8 Paulō a little post afterwards scrīpsī I wrote Quis who hunc this nostrum our chamaeleonta chameleon nōn not admīrētur would admire
6.9 Chamaeleōn the chameleon colōrem colour mūtat changes homō man nātūram nature
6.10 Hoc this autem however fundāmentum the foundation est is magiae of magic quod which nōn not intellegunt understand eī those quī who mē me philosophum a philosopher tantum only fuisse to have been crēdunt believe quod what nūllam no fōrmam form fīxam fixed habet has id that omnem every fōrmam form accipere to receive potest is able
6.11 Magus the magician enim for nōn not is he est is quī who herbās herbs tantum only et and lapidēs stones nōvit knows sed but quī who scit knows sē himself ipsum himself nūllam no fōrmam form habēre to have et and ideō therefore dēligit chooses quam which fōrmam form induat he is to put on
6.12 Hoc this Arrētiī at Arezzo nesciēbam I did not know ibi there nōn not ego I fōrmam the form ēlēgī chose sed but fōrma the form mē me
7.1 Rōmae at Rome posteā afterwards tredecim thirteen ex out of conclūsiōnibus conclusions meīs my damnātae sunt were condemned inter among quās which erat was haec this one nūllam no esse to be scientiam science quae which nōs us magis more certōs certain faceret would make dē about dīvīnitāte the divinity Chrīstī of Christ quam than magiam magic et and Cabalam Kabbalah
7.2 Iūdicēs judges illī those nōn not erant were stultī foolish vīdērunt they saw enim for quid what vellem I wanted
7.3 Nōn not vīdērunt they saw tamen however ut as opīnor I suppose cūr why id it tantā with such great cupiditāte desire vellem I wanted
7.4 Ego I enim for quī who in on viā the road Senēnsī Sienese didiceram had learned quam how facile easily homō a man dēscenderet might descend scālā a ladder firmiōre firmer egēbam was needing quam than ūllus any philosophus philosopher dare to give posset could
7.5 Quaerēbam I was seeking igitur therefore nōmina names quae which nōn not mūtārentur would be changed quia because ipse I myself tam so facile easily mūtābar was being changed
7.6 Dē about Margarītā Margherita nihil nothing posteā afterwards audīvī I heard neque nor quaerere to ask ausus sum did I dare
7.7 Saepe often tamen however suspicor I suspect eam her sī if ipsa she herself hanc this fābulam story nārret should tell aliam another nārrātūram esse to be going to tell nec neither meam mine nec nor Arrētīnōrum that of the Aretines nec nor Flōrentīnōrum that of the Florentines
7.8 Quārtam the fourth fāmam rumour nēmō no one scrīpsit has written
7.9 Itaque and so haec this mea my fābula story nōn not est is tōta the whole vēritās truth sed but ūna one eius of it fōrma form quam which ego I chamaeleōn a chameleon hodiē today induō put on
7.10 Legite read eam it ut as rem a thing mūtābilem changeable nam for sī if quid anything dē about homine man didicī I have learned hoc this didicī I have learned nihil nothing in in eō him fīxum fixed esse to be praeter except necessitātem the necessity ēligendī of choosing