– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

There are books that tell stories, books

that preserve history, and books that

spark revolutions of thought. But then

there is a book that does none of these

things, or at least not in any way we

can understand. A book filled with

strange plants that don't exist.

diagrams of mysterious astronomical

symbols, drawings of nude women bathing

in odd contraptions, and most curiously,

pages upon pages of text written in a

language that no one on earth can read.

This book is known as the Voinich

manuscript, and for over 600 years, it

has baffled historians, linguists,

codereakers, and scientists alike. Some

call it the world's most mysterious

book. Others think it may just be an

elaborate hoax. Either way, it remains

an enigma that refuses to be solved. So,

today, let's dive into the story of the

Voyage manuscript, its baffling text,

surreal illustrations, and the centuries

of speculation that turned it into the

world's most mysterious book. Right here

on History of Simple Things.

The Voinich manuscript is a handwritten

book that dates back to the early 15th

century sometime between 1404 and 1438

based on carbon dating of its parchment.

It gets its name from Wilfred Voyage, a

Polish book dealer who purchased it in

1912 from an Italian Jesuit library.

Measuring about 23x 16 cm and containing

over 200 pages, the manuscript is packed

with mysterious illustrations and

undecipherable writing. The text itself

is written in an unknown script often

called voiniches, which follows certain

linguistic rules like repeating letter

patterns and spacing, but doesn't match

any known human language. That detail is

part of what makes the book so

perplexing. If it were random nonsense,

you wouldn't expect it to have such

consistent structure.

The manuscript isn't just random

scribbles. It's organized into what

appear to be sections, each with its own

theme. The first and largest is the

botanical section, which contains

drawings of plants, many of which are

completely unfamiliar to botany. Some

appear like hybrids of real species,

while others look like pure inventions.

Next comes the astronomical section

filled with star charts, zodiac symbols,

and circular diagrams that resemble

cosmological maps. Then there's the

balological section featuring dozens of

small nude women immersed in what look

like baths or strange plumbing systems,

sometimes connected by tubes that flow

like rivers. Another section seems

pharmaceutical, showing jars and roots,

possibly remedies. And finally, there's

a section of continuous text, sometimes

referred to as the recipes part, though,

of course, no one knows what the

instructions are for. This organized

structure hints at purpose, as if the

manuscript was meant to teach or record

knowledge, but its content remains

inaccessible.

Naturally, people have spent centuries

trying to crack the Voinich manuscript.

In the early 20th century, Voyage

himself believed it might be the lost

work of Roger Bacon, a 13th century

English philosopher and alchemist.

During World War II, professional

codereers who worked on enemy ciphers

took a stab at it. In the Cold War era,

the CIA and NSA analysts tried their

hands as well. Even modern computer

algorithms have been applied to the

problem, analyzing letter frequencies

and structures. And yet, despite all

this brain power, no one has produced a

convincing translation. Some claim it

might be an unknown language. Some say

it could be a sophisticated cipher, and

others suspect it's simply an elaborate

fabrication designed to mimic real

writing without meaning.

Because the manuscript refuses to yield

answers, speculation has run wild. One

theory is that it's a kind of medieval

encyclopedia of herbal medicine,

possibly written in code to protect

valuable knowledge from rivals. Another

suggests it's a form of glossoleia or

speaking in tongues written down by

someone in a translike state. Some have

gone as far as suggesting alien origins,

claiming the plants are not of Earth and

the language belongs to another species.

A more grounded theory is that it was

created by a clever hoaxer during the

Renaissance to impress wealthy patrons.

After all, mysterious knowledge was

highly marketable at the time. But if it

is a hoax, it's an unusually elaborate

one, requiring painstaking consistency

across hundreds of pages, which raises

the question, why go to so much effort

for something that at the time had no

guarantee of lasting fame?

Beyond the mystery itself, the Voinich

manuscript represents something

profoundly human, our hunger for

meaning. We see patterns and want to

unlock them. We find codes and cannot

rest until they're solved. The

manuscript is in some ways a mirror

reflecting our curiosity back at us.

Every attempt to solve it, every theory

proposed is less about the book itself

and more about us. Our need to

understand, our refusal to accept the

inexplicable.

Even in an age of supercomputers and

artificial intelligence, the fact that

this book remains unsolved is strangely

comforting. It suggests there are still

mysteries in the world that can't be

conquered by data alone.

Today, the Voinich manuscript is housed

at Yale University's BKI rare book and

manuscript library, where it is

preserved under careful conditions.

Highresolution scans are available

online, allowing anyone to explore its

pages. And yet, despite the book being

more accessible than ever, no one is

closer to unlocking its secrets.

Occasionally, headlines pop up claiming

someone has finally deciphered it. But

these claims almost always fall apart

under scrutiny. The mystery, it seems,

isn't going away anytime soon. And maybe

that's the point. Perhaps the Voinich

manuscript's real value lies not in what

it says, but in what it does. It sparks

wonder, fuels imagination, and reminds

us that not everything in this world has

to make sense.

So, what is the Voinich manuscript? A

lost scientific text, a coded alchemical

diary, a prank that fooled the world for

centuries, or something else entirely

beyond our current understanding.

Whatever the answer may be, the

manuscript continues to hold us in its

grip. Page after page of strange writing

and otherworldly drawings that whisper a

language we cannot hear. And maybe, just

maybe, that's what makes it beautiful.

Because while knowledge gives us power,

mystery gives us wonder. And the Voinich

manuscript is one of the purest

mysteries we've ever encountered.

Thank you for watching. If you have

suggestions for our next video, feel

free to share them in the comments

below. We'll be sure to give you an

acknowledgement for your contribution.

[Music]

Thank you for joining us on this journey

through the history of simple things.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and

stay tuned for more stories woven

through the smallest details.

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
manuscript /ˈmænjəskrɪpt/ B2	noun - a handwritten or typed document, especially a historical or literary work
mysterious /mɪˈstɪəriəs/ B2	adjective - difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify
preserve /prɪˈzɜːrv/ B1	verb - to keep something in its original condition; to protect from decay or loss
spark /spɑːrk/ B1	verb - to trigger or set off a reaction, idea, or event noun - a small fiery particle; a trace or sign of something beginning
revolution /ˌrevəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - a drastic and wide‑scale change, often in political or social systems; a complete turning around
astronomical /ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl/ B2	adjective - relating to astronomy or the stars; exceedingly large
illustration /ˌɪlʊˈstreɪʃən/ B2	noun - a picture or drawing that explains or decorates a text
speculation /ˌspɛkjʊˈleɪʃən/ C1	noun - the formation of theories or conjectures without firm evidence
cipher /ˈsaɪfər/ B2	noun - a code or system for encrypting text; a secret writing method
decipher /dɪˈsaɪfər/ C1	verb - to translate or make sense of a coded or obscure text
alchemy /ˈælkəmi/ C1	noun - an early precursor to chemistry, focused on transmuting base metals into gold and finding an elixir of life
enigma /ɪˈnɪɡmə/ C1	noun - something that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
baffling /ˈbæflɪŋ/ C1	adjective - confusing; impossible to understand or explain
medieval /ˌmɪdiˈiːvəl/ B2	adjective - relating to the Middle Ages (approximately 5th to 15th centuries)
botanical /bəˈtænɪkəl/ B2	adjective - pertaining to plants or botany
unknown /ʌnˈnoʊn/ B1	adjective - not known or identified; unfamiliar
language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ A2	noun - a system of words and rules used by a community for communication
curiosity /ˌkjʊəriˈɒsɪti/ B2	noun - a strong desire to learn or know something