Gleanings — §1

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 1 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

سبحانك اللّهم يا إلهي كيف أذكرك بعد الّذي أيقنت بأنّ ألسن العارفين كلّت عن ذكرك وثنائك ومنعت طيور أفئدة المشتاقين عن الصّعود إلى سمآءِ عزّك وعرفانك ل

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord, my God! How can I make mention of Thee, assured as I am that no tongue, however deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify Thy name, nor can the bird of the human heart, however great its longing, ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy majesty and knowledge.

Translation Notes

سبحانك

sbḥánk s-b-ḥ → “lauded and glorified art thou”

literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise

SE expanded to “Lauded and glorified art Thou”

glorified 27% lauded 19% praised 14% glory 12% praise 10% magnified 6% exalted 5% all 3% unto 2% “glory 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §102: celebrateth gleaningsGWB §190: Glory be kitab-i-iqanKIQ §178: these grievous “veils of glory,”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §233: Too high art Thou exalted tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: Glorified be He that the-hidden-wordsHW §89: from on high epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §203: Glorified gleaningsGWB §13: celebration

اللّهم

al-lhm ʾ-l-h → “o lord” Distinctive

literal: God; divine; god

SE usually renders this root as “god”, “divine”, “god’s”

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: of God gleaningsGWB §148: this God-given kitab-i-iqanKIQ §253: divinely-appointed prayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: of Thy Divinity the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §53: the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: grace gleaningsGWB §23: God’s,”

أذكرك

ʾadhkrk dh-k-r → “make mention of thee”

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

SE expanded to “make mention of Thee”

make 14% mention 14% proclaim 14% extol 14% glorify 7% praise 7% recount 7% thee 7% remember 7% may 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: mention of Him gleaningsGWB §375: to such words kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckoned kitab-i-iqanKIQ §282: His Name prayers-and-meditationsP&M §161: to be remembered tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His call tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: proclaimeth the-hidden-wordsHW §5: name thy name

أيقنت

ʾayqnt y-q-n → “assured as i am”

literal: certainty; certitude; be certain

SE expanded to “assured as I am”

assured 20% firmly 20% can 20% am 20% persuaded 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §13: thou mayest be fire-tabletFire §24: Thy certitude gleaningsGWB §283: them that believe kitab-i-iqanKIQ §137: absolute faith prayers-and-meditationsP&M §326: is persuaded tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §14: assured epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §160: them who are well assured gleaningsGWB §555: and certitude

ألسن

ʾalsn l-s-n → “no tongue”

literal: tongue; tongue, language; tongues

tongues 36% tongue 36% languages 14% now 7% language 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §63: the voice gleaningsGWB §167: Call kitab-i-iqanKIQ §75: mouth prayers-and-meditationsP&M §333: His tongue the-hidden-wordsHW §101: IN epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §21: in the language gleaningsGWB §167: and My tongue kitab-i-iqanKIQ §64: speech

العارفين

al-ʿárfín ʿ-r-f → “deep its wisdom” Distinctive

literal: knowledge; know; knower

This form usually rendered as “have”, “comprehend”, “all” (76 occurrences)

SE expanded to “deep its wisdom”

have 17% comprehend 15% all 15% know 12% such 10% understanding 7% understand 7% perceive 7% who 5% every 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: Knowledge gleaningsGWB §455: unknown kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deeds kitab-i-iqanKIQ §75: Knowledge,”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §181: Make known tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to see the-hidden-wordsHW §3: through the knowledge epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §97: the breeze

كلّت

kllt k-l-l → “all” Distinctive

literal: all; all, every

This form usually rendered as “can” (1 occurrences)

all 60% every 28% whole 3% each 3% whatsoever 2% whatever 1% unto 1% entire 1% one 1% everyone 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §147: all things gleaningsGWB §287: all the kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: everyone kitab-i-iqanKIQ §20: one and prayers-and-meditationsP&M §438: Every description tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: be the-hidden-wordsHW §13: naught will-and-testamentW&T §40: utterly

وثنائك

wthnáʾk th-n-y

literal: praise; praise, commendation

SE rendered ألسن (ʾalsn), العارفين (al-ʿárfín), كلّت (kllt), ذكرك (dhkrk), وثنائك (wthnáʾk), ومنعت (wmnʿt), طيور (ṭíwr), أفئدة (ʾafʾdh), المشتاقين (al-mshtáqín) as “no tongue, deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify, Thy name, the bird, of the, human”

praise 46% celebrate 9% virtues 9% extol 9% celebrating 7% glorify 6% extolling 6% magnifying 4% muse 2% whose 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §52: second gleaningsGWB §627: and to celebrate Thy praise kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: “Secondary prayers-and-meditationsP&M §388: from celebrating Thy praise epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §143: Secondarily gleaningsGWB §396: magnify prayers-and-meditationsP&M §767: to extol Thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: Thy celebration

ومنعت

wmnʿt m-n-ʿ

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

SE rendered العارفين (al-ʿárfín), كلّت (kllt), ذكرك (dhkrk), وثنائك (wthnáʾk), ومنعت (wmnʿt), طيور (ṭíwr), أفئدة (ʾafʾdh), المشتاقين (al-mshtáqín), الصّعود (aṣ-ṣʿúd) as “deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify, Thy name, the bird, of the, human, ever hope to ascend”

hath 20% thou 10% hindered 10% strove 10% powerless 10% withhold 10% have 10% prevented 10% deprived 10%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §118: could deter gleaningsGWB §563: be denied kitab-i-iqanKIQ §51: mightiest and loftiest prayers-and-meditationsP&M §538: hath been hindered tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §9: arise against thee the-hidden-wordsHW §157: goodly will-and-testamentW&T §56: hindrance epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §153: obstacle

طيور

ṭíwr ṭ-y-r → “bird”

literal: bird

birds 86% bird 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §129: fled fire-tabletFire §46: fly gleaningsGWB §541: Bird kitab-i-iqanKIQ §174: reach prayers-and-meditationsP&M §303: able to soar tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §23: rise epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: Birds gleaningsGWB §496: have soared

أفئدة

ʾafʾdh f-ʾ-d → “of the”

literal: heart; hearts; hearts, souls

SE rendered ذكرك (dhkrk), وثنائك (wthnáʾk), ومنعت (wmnʿt), طيور (ṭíwr), أفئدة (ʾafʾdh), المشتاقين (al-mshtáqín), الصّعود (aṣ-ṣʿúd) as “Thy name, the bird, of the, human, ever hope to ascend”