randomactsofkarmasc | Images from the Book of Lambspring

For those who are interested in the original text from that 1556 one (at Compendium Naturalis), this is my attempt at extracting it from the first four [with very literal translation of what I can make out of the old German and Latin]:
1. Ihr sollet ?erathen und Recht vorstehern [You should surmise and properly grasp]
Wie zweite fische in unsern Mehrgebeit [How two fishes in our sea]
Die Erste Figür. [The first figure.]
Mare est corpüs düo Pisces sünt Corpüs et Anima [The sea is the body; the two fish are body(!) and soul]
2. Hier ?erathet schnell und ballt [Here surmise quick and soon]
Von dem schwartzen tier in dem Waltt [Of the black animal in the forest]
Die Arnder Figür. [The other? figure.]
Putrefactio [putrefaction]
3. Thün weidte ohne sorgen wist [Go further without sorrow knowing?]
Im waldte ein Hirsch und Einhorn verborg? [In the forest a deer and unicorn are hidden]
en ist [in it]
Die Dritte Figür [The Third Figure]
In Corpore est Anima et Spiritus [In the body is soul and spirit]
4. Es magth woll ein groß fragthellein? [It may well a great little question]
Daß Aüß sweien Lowen sol werden ein [That from two lions shall become one]
Die Vierdte Figür [The Fourth Figure]
Spiritüs et Anima sint Loniüngendi? etre gandt ad Corpüs suünt [Spirit and soul after ? are ? in the body]

So the phrases are a mix of Old German and Latin? That would explain why some of the AI translators I tried using were struggling so.

The Preface included by Waite, which I think came from Barnaud, is quite long. Neither the 1607 scans or the 1556 scans include it, though 1556 did have a short preface. AI translated it as

Lauk Seatdi in the month of December, in the year of our Lord 1553. The hidden philosophy of mystery made me a participant in friendship, therefore the Reverend and pious Lord Herman Marfour, superintendent of the Church of Dorpat, a great supporter of the Art of Alchemy, passed away peacefully at the manor in the year of our Lord 1556.

Does that seem close to you? I do not see the punctuation clearly. It seems it should mean that Lauk Seatdi passed in 1553 and that the "in the year of our Lord 1556" is really the publication date.

Looks to me like:

Lautz Deo Adi j?otembritz Anno ?
Christo Domino ac Saluatore nostro MDLIII Huius occultae
Philosophiae misterij fecit me participem amicitiae ergo Reverendus
ac pius dominus Hermarnus Marsoui Ecclesiae Doreptensis
süperintendens Artis Alchimae summus fautor obnfpiae memoriae

[Praise the lord in December of the year of Christ our Lord and Saviour 1553. Therefore the Reverend and pious Lord Hermarnus Marsoui, superintendent of the Church of Doreptense, the supreme supporter of the art of Alchemy, made me a partaker of the mysteries of this hidden philosophy.]

So I think the Lauk Seatdi is actually a Laud [praise] Deo [God] ad [in]

Oh and the 1556 at the end.

Looking at that again I think I should revise that translation I took from Google of the last sentence.

ac = and

Huius = this (gen. sing.) -> so "of this"
occultae = concealed (gen. sing.)
Philosophiae = philosophy (nom. pl. or gen. sing.)
mysterii = mystery (gen. sing.)

So "Of this mystery of occult philosophy"

fecit = do/make/appoint (3rd pers. sing. active)

mei = me (gen. sing. masc. or neut.)

participem = sharing (acc. masc./fem. sing. adj.)
amicitiae = friendship (nom. pl. or gen. sing.)

ergo = on account of (if with gen.) or therefore

So probably "He did the sharing of this mystery of occult philosophy on account of my friendship"

Reverendus = that is to be respected (nom. sing. masc. part.)
pius = pious (nom. sing. masc. adj.)
Dominus = lord (nom. sing.)

Ecclesiae = church (gen./dat. sing. or nom. pl.)

So we now have a subject to the first part: "The reverend and pious lord, H... M... of the church of D..., did the sharing of this mystery on account of my friendship"

summus = highest, greatest (nom. masc.)
fautor = patron (nom. masc.)

memoriae = memory (nom. pl. or gen/dat sing.)

So "The greatest patron ... of memory"

superintendens = overseeing (part.)
artis = arts (acc. pl. or gen. sing.)
alchimiae = alchemy (gen. sing.)

So "overseeing the arts of alchemy"

The obnfpiae annoys me - can't parse that at all. What I end up with is:

The reverend and pious lord, H... M... of the church of D..., the greatest patron in ?? memory overseeing the arts of alchemy, shared this mystery on account of my friendship.

I will stare at it today at lunch and see if I can see different letters in the obnfpiae. Thank you for sharing your translation... I like it much better than what the AI came up with!

Looking at it again and comparing to letters elsewhere, the n is actually ij (or ii in standard Latin) and the f may be an s

So obiispiae or obiifpiae

Perhaps opificia = works ? or a distortion of episcopale = of the bishop (acc. neut. adj.)

I found this diagram of the Fraktur letters. https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ldIRMhyp9Kk/Vmt5P22XMAI/AAAAAAAAAgU/qTBvDbzZlVc/s1600/Delbanco-KleistFraktur-1996--afterWalterTiemann-1927-1928b.gif I think the "n" might be an Upsilon. I used Google Translate. "obyk" in Latin is "object". "piae" is "pious". Would that work with your translation?

And with that version of Fraktur, the Lau? would be LauB (B meaning the Eszett). And I think the letter after LauB Dea? would be an "ft"? (I couldn't find what its name is.)

In other research, I had that the Book was originally written in a town called Lamspringe (which is in Hanover district). I tried to find a place to match Doreptensis, but no luck. I did, though, figure out that "dorept" translates to "sleep" and "ensis" translates to "sword". (And when I translated "dorept ensis" as two words, it came back as "the sword is dull".)

That made me wonder if the "name" was really a name or maybe a play on words. In Splendor Solis, alchemy is referred to as "Arma Artis" (Arms or Weapons of Art). "Dorept ensis" is a dull sword. If Hermarnus is Latinized "Hermann", Hermann means "Man of War" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminius). Marsoui, other than being a place in Canada, I couldn't find anywhere. But I can see "Mars" (God of War) in it. I do not know what 'oui' means as a suffix in Latin. Can all that somehow end up saying something about a warrior sharpening his sword?

When I had AI translate the page, it somehow got that Lord Herman Marfour was the superintendent of the Church of Dorpat. The last bishop of Dorpat was actually a Hermann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Wesel. But how did AI get Dorpat out of that?

Hermann had a coin with a sword on it: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces142201.html
He was also known as Hermann Weiland: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q96352
Other things I've found:
https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bweiland.html
https://alchetron.com/Hermann-Wesel

the first bishop was a Hermann, too: https://medievalheritage.eu/en/main-page/heritage/estonia/tartu-dorpat-cathedral-of-st-peter-and-paul/

But no Hermann Marsoui's anywhere.

Let me know if any of this seems useful.

Or would "Dorept" be "Dorpat" Latinized?

"Object of pious memory" would work.

Dorept is probably latinised Dorpat - the latinising of names could be a bit random.

Laus is Latin for praise/glory (nom. sing. noun - from laudo = to praise)
Deo = God (dat. sing.)

So Laus Deo would be "Glory to God"

All up:
Glory to God in December of the year of Christ our Lord and Saviour 1553. The reverend and pious lord, Herman Marsoui of the church of Dorpat, the greatest patron, object of pious memory, overseeing the arts of alchemy, shared this mystery on account of my friendship. The year 1556.

Dreamwidth won't let me reply to your last comment; I guess we have too many nested replies.

May I use your translation to make a 4x6 version of the Preface, instead of using Waite's translation that doesn't match up to the text? I will gladly give you attribution... if you are agreeable, would you want to be identified as K. A. Nitz?

Thank you!!!

Yes that’s fine

Images from the Book of Lambspring

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