The Prophecies
The Prophecies have come down to us via hundreds of editions. The complexity of Nostradamus' language (a mixture of French, Latin and Occitan) has led to all kinds of translations, not to mention more or less hazardous or risky interpretations. Yet no essay or interpretation replaces reading, a mandatory confrontation with the authentic, original text.
Several editions have been considered hacked or backdated. It is generally accepted that the edition which bears the date of September 1557 was actually published during the lifetime of Nostradamus. The subsequent editions of the text amplify typographical errors and other typos, as do the additions and apocryphal texts.
This edition presents, for the first time in digital format, three texts: the facsimile of the 1557 edition, a modernized transcription of this facsimile, and an english translation of this edition.
In order to preserve the quality of the text, this modernized version is in no way intended to be an interpretation, but a readable version that respects the original. In addition to correcting typographical errors, the text has only been edited to incorporate the modern spelling rules necessary for current reading and to respect the poetic style, while remaining most truthful to the original text.
This tripartite version allows the reader to compare this original version with the many translations and interpretations on the market, and to estimate the merits of these works, as a research tool for an approach to the Nostradamus' poetic universe. Do not forget that Nostradamus forbade reading to charlatans of all kinds as well as uneducated people, expressly reserving his works for the intellectual elite!
The facsimile transcription, the modernized transcription and the translation of this edition were carried out by Pascal-Henri Poiget, based on the facsimile of the 1557 edition and numerous in-depth researches on the languages used by Nostradamus.
Complete book ISBN-13 978-1514375488 Paper book & ebook 441 pages Publication 2015
Facsimile softcover ISBN-13 979-8414397908 Paper book & ebook 151 pages Publication 2022
Text modernized ISBN-13 979-8416018405 Paper book & ebook 148 pages Publication 2022
Text translated ISBN-13 979-8419591981 Paper book & ebook 155 pages Publication 2022
Facsimile hardcover ISBN-13 979-8417577000 Paper book & ebook 151 pages Publication 2022
- RAINFOLK'S DIARIES, Bernard Arini
"In order to avoid letting oneself get caught up in anguishing “fake news” and to fully understand the predictions of the French writer of the 16th century, there is an urgent need to return to the essential: the facsimile of the 1557 edition, the only one actually published during Nostradamus’s lifetime."."
"A scrupulous translator of this difficult text, which is a mixture of old French, Latin and Occitan, Pascal-Henri Poiget is careful not to make an exegesis of it.""
"The reading of the Prophecies is quite terrifying. It is necessary to have the moral», jokes Pascal-Henri Poiget, author of a commented edition of the Prophecies, in an interview at Le Point. Mr. Poiget reminds us that “nothing is dated and that the actions are sufficiently enigmatic to be applicable to any period, to lend themselves to many interpretations”.
Reader Comments
"This book is definitely not an interpretation or an explanation of the Prophecies. It is the publication of the original formatted text, which allows everyone to make his or her interpretation or to refer to other books which, on the other hand, do give an explanation or justification for these centuries."
"Our old French is still complicated! The three versions of the work combined in this one book are on the same level as those interpretations that flourish in libraries!"
"Here is a reading that puts in their place all the rantings that have been committed for ages. It is up to each person to make their own interpretation ... almost a playful game, and for once it is in his or her own toolbox - their brain - and no longer on a touch screen. I liked the poetry that emanates from the "centuries". There is material for many reveries, which is a plus these days ... I recommend this work."
"No one is forced to believe in the scope of the centuries of Nostradamus. This return to the basic text makes it possible to measure its poetic aspect and the difficulty of analysis. This edition puts the original within the reach of all readers and the curious of all kinds. This is not a novel, but rather an indisputable source for those who want to get started in its interpretation."