QUarto die dixit deus.
Am[m] vierde[n] tag sprach got.
On the fourth day God said,
Fia[n]t luminaria in firmame[n]to celi: [et] diuidant diem et nocte[m].
Et sint in signa [et] t[em]p[er]a: [et] dies: [et] a[n]nos: vt lucea[n]t in firmame[n]to celi: [et] illumine[n]t terra[m].
Et factu[m] e[st] ita.
Fecitq[ue] deus duos luminaria magna: luminare maius: vt p[re]esset diei: [et] luminare min[us]: vt p[er]esset nocti [et] stellas: vt duiderent luce[m] [et] tenebras.
Es solle[n] liechter in de[m] firmame[n]t des himels werde[n] vn[d] de[n] tag vn[d] die nacht teile[n]. vnd zu zaichen vn[d] zeiten vnd tage[n] vnd iare[n] sein. das sie scheinen in de[m] firmament des himels vnd erlewchten die erde[n] vnd es ist also geschehen. vn[d] got hat gemacht zway grosse liecht. ein grössers liecht vorzesen de[n] tag. vn[d] ein kleiners liecht vorzesein d[er] naht. vn[d] die stern zetailen das liecht. vn[d] die finsternuß.
Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day and the night; and let them be signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years, and shine in the firmament of the heaven and give light to the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater to rule the day, and the lesser to rule the night. And the stars separate the light from the darkness.
Moyses p[r]imo celestium meminit q[uae] posuit de[us] in firmame[n]to vt lucere[n]t in celo: [et] terra[m] illuminare[n]t sole[m] videlicet luna[m] [et] stellas: quib[us] ip[s]a sup[er]ior mundi p[ar]s ornat[ur]: vti terra ornat[ur] bis q[uae] in ea fiunt metallis: pla[n]tis: a[n]i[m]antib[us].
Cu[m] e[ni]m de natura firmame[n]ti dixerat: restabat vt de op[er]ib[us] sideru[m]: deq[ue] eo[rum] officio dissereret: declara[n]s in que[m] vsum fundata: [et] cui muneri delegata a deo fuerint.
Moyses gedenckt erstlich d[er] himlischen ding die got gesetzt hat in de[m] firmament zescheine[n] an de[m] himel. vn[d] zeerlewchte[n] d[er] erde[n]. als die sunne[n]. de[n] mo[n]d. vnd die stern. mit de[n] d[er] oberteil d[er] werlt geziert wirdt. wie die erden mit de[n] dinge[n] die in ir werde[n]. dan[n] nach de[m] er vo[n] d[er] natur des firmaments geredt het. so gepürt ime nachvolge[n]d von de[n] wercke[n] des gestirns vnd vo[n] irem ampt zesage[n] mit erklerung. zu welcherlay ubung vnd geprauch sie gestifftet vnd zu was würckung sie vo[n] got gesand seyn.
Moses thinks first of the celestial things which God set in the firmament to shine in the heavens and to give light to the earth; as the sun, the moon and the stars with which the upper part of the world is adorned, just like the earth is adorned with the things that grow in it. And after Moses has spoken of the nature of the firmament, he follows with the work of the stars and explains their functions—to what exercise and use they were dedicated and for what purpose they were intended.
Celestiu[m] eni[m] corpo[rum] due i[n] vniuersum manifeste op[er]atio[n]es mot[us] [et] illumi[n]atio: mot[us] duplex statuit[ur].
Der himlischen leiplichen ding sind zwu offenbar wurckung in die werlt. nemlich die bewegnus vn[d] die erlewchtu[n]g. So sind die bewegnus zwu.
The heavenly corporeal bodies have two apparent functions to perform in the world, namely motion and to give light. And there are two movements:
Alter mu[n]di totius q[uo] celu[m] [et] ether .24. horis: p[er] totu[m] spaciu[m] vniuersi p[er]fecto ambitu circuu[m]oluu[n]tur.
Eine d[er] ga[n]tze[n] werlt do mit d[er] himel vn[d] d[er] spera des lufts vn[d] feüers in .xxiiij. stu[n]de[n] durch den gantzen krais d[er] werlt mit volko[m]nen umblawff bewegt werde[n].
One of the whole world by which the heaven and the sphere of the air and of fire are moved through the whole area of the world in a complete revolution in twenty-four hours.
Alter side[rum] p[ro]prium multiplex [et] varius.
Inter q[uo]s p[ri]ncipalis motus solis: q[ui] spatio .xij. mensiu[m] zodiaci signa om[n]ia curcuit.
Ille die[m] facit: vnde [et] diurnus d[ividitu]r: hic autem annu[m].
Die ander bewegnus ist des gestirns. vn[d] ist aigen. vilfeltig vnd ma[n]cherlay. under den selbe[n] ist die bewegnus d[er] sunne[n] die fürnamst. dan[n] die sun[n] umblawfft in xij. monaten de[n] zirckel aller zaiche[n]. die sun[n] macht de[n] tag. so macht d[er] lawff d[er] sunnen durch de[n] selbe[n] zirckel ein iar.
The other movement is of the stars, and is singular, manifold and various. Among these the movement of the sun is most important, for in twelve months the sun revolves through the circuit of all the signs. The sun makes the day. So this course of the sun through this same circuit makes a year.
Reliqui sideru[m] motus varijs tempo[rum] interuallis p[er]aguntur.
Die andern bewegnussen des gestirns werde[n] in mancherlay zwische[n]falle[n]der zeit verbracht.
The movements of the stars occur at various times in the interim.
Recte igitur [et] breuiter nos o[mn]i[u]m admonuit Moyses cu[m] dixit posita sidera in firmame[n]to in dies annos et temp[or]a.
Indicauit p[rae]terea expresse reliqua[m] op[er]atione[m] side[rum].
Que e[st] illuminatio: cu[m] dixit statuta illa vt lucere[n]t in celo: [et] terram illuminare[n]t.
In hec igitur ministeria [et] lune [et] solis [et] stella[rum] sunt corp[or]a distributa.
Sol e[ni]m q[ui] oritur in die: licet sit vnus (vn[um] sole[m] esse appelatu[m] Cicero vult videri) q[uia] obscuratis siderib[us] solus appareat.
Tame[n] veru[m] [et] p[er]fecte plenitudinis lumen e[st]: [et] calore potissimo: [et] fulgore clarissimo illuscescit o[mn]ia.
Q[uam]uis e[ni]m stelle innumerabiles micare ac radiare videant[ur]: tame[n] q[uorum] non sunt plena ac solida lumi[n]a: nec caloris p[er]feru[n]t q[ui]c q[ua]m: nec tenebras multitudine sua vincu[n]t
Duo igit[ur] p[ri]ncipalia inueniu[n]tur. que diuersam [et] [con][ua]ria[m] sibi h[abe]nt potestatem calor [et] humor: que mirabiliter de[us] ad sustenda[n]da [et] gignenda omnia excogitauit.
Darümb garschickerlich hat uns moyses kürtzlich dieser ding aller vermanet sprechende. das die gestirn in dem firmament gesetzt sein zu tagen. iaren vnd zeitten. dar zu hat er auch gar lawter angezaigt die andern wurcku[n]g der gestirne. die ist die erlewchtu[n]g. so er sagt das die gesetzt seye[n] zu scheine[n] am[m] hymel vnd zeerlewchten die erde[n]. darümb zu solchen dienstperkeiten sind die leib des monds. der sunne[n] vnd d[er] stern[n] außgetailt. vnd wiewol die sun[n] die im tag aufgeet einig allain ist yedoch ist sie ein wars liecht volku[m]ner völligkeit. die mit fürderlichster wirm vn[d] allerklarste[m] schein alle dig erlewchtet. dan[n] wiewol man unzalich sterne schimern vn[d] gle[n]tze[n] sihet. nach de[m] sie aber doch nit völlige vn[d] feste liecht sind. so raichen sie kein wirm vo[n] ine vn[d] müge[n] auch mit irer menig die finsternus nit uberwinden. darümb so werde[n] zway füname ding gefunde[n] die mancherlay vnd aneinander widerwertigen gewalt habe[n]. ne[m]lich wirm vn[d] feüchtigkeit die got wunderperlich zur auffenthaltung vnd geperung aller ding erdacht hat.
That is why Moses has so ably and briefly reminded us of those things, namely, that the stars were set in the firmament to indicate the days, years and seasons. In addition he has clearly spoken of the other function of the stars, that is, to give light. So he says they were set to shine in the heavens and to light the earth. Therefore the bodies of the moon, sun and stars are fitly constituted for such purposes. And although the sun which rises in the day is alone, yet it gives a real, full and complete light, and with its warmth and clearness reaches everything. Although we see all the stars glitter and shine at once, they do not make as full and strong a light; nor do they give warmth nor overcome the darkness. So two things of quality are found which in various ways have functioned in opposition to each other, namely, warmth and moisture, which God created to sustain and bring forth all things.
Altissime hic p[er]tracta[n]de essent q[ue]stiones: et q[ue] sibi singule iustu[m] volume[n] exposcerent: quo pacto hec sidera sint in firmamento: an vti p[ar]tes eius nobiliores: an vt a[n]![m]alia in suis speris. in aq[ua] pisces. iume[n]ta in terris: congressum hic ite[m] locus cu[m] Genethliacis sibi exposceret diuina[n]di per astra. [et] p[ro]nosce[n]di futuros eue[n]tus: sci[enti]am hinc [con]firmatib[us] q[uia] Moyses sidera i[n] signa posita a deo dixerit[ur].
Que rendu[m] hic etia[m] de natura sideru[m]: de motu: de p[ri]ncipatu: de lune maculis deq[ue] om[n]i siderali scie[n]tia.
Ueru[m] qua[m]q[uoniam] sint pulcra [et] digna cognitu.
Audiemus fortassis Horatianu[m] illud sed nunc non erat hic locus.
Hie bey were[n] gar hohfrage zefüren vn[d] von yder ein rechts buch zemachen wie vnd welcher maß diese gestirne in de[m] firmament were[n]. auch welche geschöpff in irem adel vnd wirde die andern ubertreffen vn[d] vo[n] verrer art. aigenschaft. wurkung. vn[d] natur des gestirns. auch von den ihenen die sich darauß verkundung künftiger ding geprauchen. so wil doch weder stat noch zeit gedulden lenger do von zeschreyben.
About these matters many important inquiries could be conducted and a proper book written upon each—what stars are in the firmament and what their size; also what creations rank higher than others in nobleness and worth; what the nature, properties, and functions of these stars, and which of them may be useful in foretelling the future. However, neither time nor space permit us to write about that.