The non-existent was not; the existent was not at that time.

The atmosphere was not nor the heavens which are beyond

What was concealed? Where? In whose protection?

Was it water? An unfathomable abyss?

There was neither death nor immortality then.

There was not distinction of day or night.

That alone breathed windless by its own power.

Other than that there was not anything else.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning.

All this was an indistinguishable sea.

That which becomes, that which was enveloped by the void,

that alone was born through the power of heat.

Upon that desire arose in the beginning.

This was the first discharge of thought.

Sages discovered this link of the existent to the nonexistent,

having searched in the heart with wisdom.

Their line [of vision] was extended across; what was below, what was above? There were impregnators, there were powers: inherent power below, impulses above.

Who knows truly? Who here will declare whence it arose, whence this creation? The gods are subsequent to the creation of this. Who, then, knows whence it has come into being?

Whence this creation has come into being; whether it was made or not; he in the highest heaven is its surveyor. Surely he knows, or perhaps he knows not.

Destijds was noch het Niet-Zijn, noch het zijn,

Geen luchtruim was, geen hemel boven. –

Wie hoedde toen de wereld, en in wie was zij besloten?

Waar was de diepe afgrond, waar de zee?

Niet dood bestond toen, noch onsterfelijkheid,

de nacht was niet geopenbaard, noch ook de dag.

Slechts ademde, windstil, in diepe oorspronkelijkheid

het Ene, buiten welke geen ander was.

Door duister was geheel het Niets bedekt,

een oceaan, van licht gespeend, in nacht verloren,

Toen werd, wat in de schaal verborgen was,

het Ene, in de pijngloed van de kracht geboren.

Hieruit ontsproot als eerste vrucht

het zaad van alle kennis, liefdes kracht. –

De wortel van de wereld in het Niets werd vorsend

door zieners in de drift van ’t hart gevonden

…..