On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology — trans. C. E. Rolt
The translator’s English as printed (C. E. Rolt). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Thus the two emanating streams, though they pass outside of the Super-Essence, yet actually are the Super-Essence Itself. And, in fact, the very term Emanation (πρόοδος) like the collateral term Differentiation (διάκρισις) may even be applied not only to the two Streams but also to the Persons of the Trinity ; not only to the Magnet’s radiating Energy, so to speak, but also to its actual Surface.
This matter needs a few words of explanation.
There is in the undifferentiated (ὑπερηνωμένη) Super-Essence a Differentiation between the Three Divine “Persons,” which Dionysius compares to the distinction between different flames in the same indivisible brightness. And Each “Person” is an Emanation because Each is a Principle of outgoing creative Energy. There is also a Differentiation between the various qualities and forces of the creative Energy, rather as (if we may further work out the simile of Dionysius) the light seen afar through certain atmospheric conditions is differentiated into various colours. And each quality or force is an Emanation, for it is an outgoing current of creative Energy. Or, by a slightly different use of language, the entire creative process in which they flow forth may be called not merely a collection of emanations but simply “the Emanation.” Thus an Emanation may mean, (1) a Person of the Trinity; (2) a current of the Universal Stream (e.g., Very Being, or Very Life, etc.); (3) a current of the Particular Stream (i.e. a particular force); (4) the entire process whereby the two Streams flow forth. This sounds confusing, but the difficulty vanishes if we classify these various meanings under two heads, viz.: (1) an Emanating Principle (i.e. a “Person” of the Trinity), and (2) an Emanating Act (whether regarded as a whole or in detail). This classification covers all its uses.
Thus the two emanating streams, though they pass outside the Super-Essence, actually are the Super-Essence Itself. And in fact the very term Emanation (πρόοδος), like the related term Differentiation (διάκρισις), may be applied not only to the two Streams but also to the Persons of the Trinity: not only to the Magnet's radiating Energy, so to speak, but also to its actual Surface.
This matter needs a few words of explanation.
In the undifferentiated (ὑπερηνωμένη) Super-Essence there is a Differentiation between the Three Divine “Persons,” which Dionysius compares to the distinction between different flames in the same indivisible brightness. And Each “Person” is an Emanation, because Each is a Principle of outgoing creative Energy. There is also a Differentiation between the various qualities and forces of the creative Energy, somewhat as (if we may develop Dionysius's simile further) light seen from afar through certain atmospheric conditions is differentiated into various colours. And each quality or force is an Emanation, for it is an outgoing current of creative Energy.
Or, by a slightly different use of language, the entire creative process in which they flow forth may be called not merely a collection of emanations but simply “the Emanation.” Thus an Emanation may mean: (1) a Person of the Trinity; (2) a current of the Universal Stream (e.g., Very Being, or Very Life, etc.); (3) a current of the Particular Stream (i.e. a particular force); (4) the entire process by which the two Streams flow forth. This sounds confusing, but the difficulty vanishes if we classify these various meanings under two heads, namely: (1) an Emanating Principle (i.e. a “Person” of the Trinity), and (2) an Emanating Act (whether regarded as a whole or in detail). This classification covers all its uses.