§27Et corpus quidem caeli aspectabile effectum est, animus autem oculorum effugit optutum.
And the body of heaven indeed was made visible, but the soul escapes the gaze of the eyes.
Est autem unus ex omnibus rationis concentionisque, quae a(rmoni/a Graece, sempiternarum rerum et sub intellegentiam cadentium compos et particeps, quo nihil est ab optimo et praestantissimo genitore melius procreatum; quippe qui ex eadem iunctus alteraque natura adiuncta materia temperatione trium partium proportione conpactus, se ipse conversans, cum materiam mutabilem arripuit et cum rursus individuam atque simplicem, per se omnis movetur discernitque, quid sit eiusdem generis, quid alterius, et cetera diiudicat, quid cuique rei sit maxime aptum, quid quoque loco aut modo aut tempore contingat, quaeque distinctio sit inter ea, quae gignantur, et ea, quae sint semper eadem.
Moreover, it is the only one among all things that are partakers and possessors of reason and harmony (which is called harmonia in Greek), belonging to the eternal things that fall under the intellect, than which nothing better has been procreated by the best and most excellent parent; since, being conjoined from the nature of the same and of the other, with material added, and compacted by the tempering of the three parts in proportion, turning itself, when it has touched changeable material and when again indivisible and simple material, it is moved through itself as a whole and discerns what is of the same kind, what is of the other, and judges other things, what is most fit for each thing, and what happens in each place, manner, or time, and what distinction there is between those things which are generated and those which are always the same.
§28Ratio autem vera, quae versatur in iis, quae sunt semper eadem, et in iis, quae mutantur, cum in eodem et in altero movetur ipsa per sese sine voce et sine ullo sono, cum eam partem attingit, qua sensus cieri potest, et orbis illius generis alterius inmutatus et rectus omnia animo mentique denuntiat, tum opiniones adsensionesque firmae veraeque gignuntur; cum autem in illis rebus vertitur, quae manentes semper eadem non sensu, sed intellegentia continentur * * * Ratione igitur et mente divina ad originem temporis curriculum inventum est solis et lunae §29* * * ius natura converteret, ut terram lunae cursus proxime ambiret eique supra terram proxima solis circumvectio esset.
Now true reason, which is occupied with those things that are always the same and with those that change, when it is moved by itself without voice and without any sound in the same and in the other, when it touches that part by which sense can be aroused, and the circle of that other kind, unchanged and straight, announces all things to the soul and mind, then firm and true opinions and assents are generated; but when it is turned in those things which, remaining always the same, are contained not by sense but by intellect... Therefore, by divine reason and mind, for the origin of time, the course of the sun and the moon was invented...[lacuna] its nature would turn, so that the course of the moon would encircle the earth closest, and above the earth the next closest would be the revolution of the sun.
Lucifer deinde et sancta Mercuri stella cursum habent solis celeritati parem, sed vim quandam contrariam, eaque concursatione, quam inter se habent Lucifer, Mercurius, sol, alii alios vincunt vicissimque vincuntur.
Then Lucifer and the sacred star of Mercury have a course equal to the speed of the sun, but a certain contrary power, and by this running together which Lucifer, Mercury, and the sun have among themselves, some surpass others and in turn are surpassed.
§30Reliquorum siderum quae causa collocandi fuerit, quaeque eorum sit conlocatio, in sermonem alium differendum est, ne in eo, quod attingendum fuit, quam in eo, quoius causa id attingimus, longior ponatur oratio.
What the cause was of placing the remaining stars, and what their placement is, must be deferred to another discourse, lest a longer speech be bestowed on that which was to be touched upon than on that for the sake of which we touch upon it.
Quando igitur sibi quodque eorum siderum cursum decorum est adeptum, ex quibus erat modus temporis consignandus, conligatisque corporibus vinculis animalibus animantia orta sunt eaque imperio parere didicerunt, tum ex alterius naturae motione transversa in eiusdem naturae motum incurrentia in eaque haerentia atque inpedita, cum alia maiorem lustrarent orbem, alia minorem, tardius quae maiorem, celerius quae minorem, motu unius eiusdemque naturae quae velocissime movebantur, ea celeritate vinci a tardioribus et, cum superabant, superari videbantur.
Therefore, when each of those stars had obtained for itself its fitting course, from which the measure of time was to be marked, and, their bodies being bound by animate bonds, living creatures arose and learned to obey authority, then, running from the oblique motion of the nature of the other into the motion of the nature of the same, and being held and impeded in them, while some traversed a larger circle and others a smaller, those more slowly which traversed a larger, and those more quickly which traversed a smaller, those which were moved most swiftly by the motion of the one and same nature seemed to be surpassed in speed by the slower ones, and, when they were surpassing, to be surpassed.
§31Omnis enim orbis eorum quasi helicae inflexione vertebat, quia bifariam contrarie simul procedentia efficiebant, ut, quod esset tardissimum, id proximum fieret celerrimo.
For every circle of theirs turned as if by the bending of a helix, because things proceeding in opposite directions in two ways at the same time brought it about that what was slowest became closest to the swiftest.
Atque ut esset mensura quaedam evidens, quae in octo cursibus celeritates tarditatesque declararet, deus ipse solem quasi lumen accendit ad secundum supra terram ambitum, ut quam maxime caelum omnibus conluceret animantesque, quibus ius esset doceri, ab eiusdem motu et ab eius, quod simile esset, numerorum naturam vimque cognoscerent.
And so that there might be some manifest measure which would declare the speeds and slownesses in the eight courses, god himself kindled the sun as a light at the second circuit above the earth, so that the heaven might shine as much as possible for all, and that living creatures, to whom it was granted to be taught, might learn the nature and power of numbers from the motion of the same and of that which was similar to it.
§32Nox igitur et dies ad hunc modum et ob has generata causas unum circumitum orbis efficit sapientissimum atque optimum, mensis autem, quando luna lustrato suo cursu solem consecuta est, annus, ubi sol suum totum confecit et peragravit orbem.
Night and day therefore, generated in this manner and for these causes, effect one circuit of the wisest and best circle; and a month, when the moon, having traversed its course, has overtaken the sun; and a year, when the sun has completed and traversed its entire circle.
§33Ceterorum autem siderum ambitus ignorantes homines praeter admodum paucos neque nomine appellant neque inter se numero commetiuntur.
But men, except for a very few, being ignorant of the circuits of the other stars, neither call them by name nor measure them against one another by number.
Itaque nesciunt hos siderum errores id ipsum esse, quod rite dicitur tempus, multitudine infinita, varietate admirabili praeditos.
Therefore they do not know that these wanderings of the stars are the very thing which is properly called time, endowed with infinite multitude and admirable variety.
Ac tamen illud perspici et intellegi potest, absoluto perfectoque numero temporis absolutum annum perfectumque tum compleri denique, cum se octo ambitus confectis suis cursibus ad idem caput rettulerunt, cumque eos permensus est idem et semper sui similis orbis.
And yet this can be perceived and understood, that the absolute and perfect year is then finally completed when the absolute and perfect number of time has brought the eight circuits back to the same starting point, their courses being finished, and when the same and always similar-to-itself circle has measured them out.