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Gleanings — §118

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 118 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

چقدر متحيّر است اين ذرّه لا شیء از تعمّق در غمرات لجّه قدس عرفان تو و چه مقدار عاجز است از تفکّر در قدرت مستودعه در ظهورات صنع تو اگر بگويم ببصر در آئی بصر خود را نبيند چگونه تو را بيند و اگر گويم بقلب ادراک شوی قلب عارف بمقامات تجلّی در خود نشده چگونه ترا عارف شود اگر گويم معروفی تو مقدّس از عرفان موجودات بوده و اگر بگويم غير معروفی تو مشهودتر از آنی که مستور و غير معروف مانی اگر چه لم يزل ابواب فضل و وصل و لقايت بر وجه ممکنات مفتوح و تجلّيات انوار جمال بيمثالت بر اعراش وجود از مشهود و مفقود مستوی مع ظهور اين فضل اعظم و عنايت اتمّ اقوم شهادت ميدهم که ساحت جلال قدست از عرفان غير مقدّس بوده و بساط اجلال اُنست از ادراک ما سوی منزّه خواهد بود. بکينونت خود معروفی و بذاتيّت خود موصوف و چقدر از هياکل عزّ احديّه که در بيداء هجر و فراقت جان باخته‌اند و چه مقدار از ارواح قدس صمديّه که در صحرای شهود مبهوت گشته‌اند بسا عشّاق با کمال طلب و اشتياق از شعله ملتهبه نار فراق محترق شده و چه بسيار از احرار که برجای وصالت جان داده‌اند نه ناله و حنين عاشقين بساحت قدست رسد و نه صيحه و ندبه قاصدين و مشتاقين بمقام قربت در آيد ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power inherent in Thine handiwork — the revelation of Thy creative power! How can mine eye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned Thine Essence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend the significance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thy nature? How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee, when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy truth? The portals of Thy grace have throughout eternity been open, and the means of access unto Thy Presence made available, unto all created things, and the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible. Yet, notwithstanding this most gracious favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testify that Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the knowledge of all else besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is inscrutable to every mind except Thine own. No one except Thyself can unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught else but Thy transcendental Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. How vast the number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness of their separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and failed in the end to find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified and immortal souls who were lost and bewildered while seeking in the desert of search to behold Thy face! Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom the consuming flame of remoteness from Thee hath caused to sink and perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willingly laid down their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The sighs and moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never reach Thy holy court, neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that thirst to appear before Thy face attain Thy seat of glory.

Translation Notes

ذرّه
dhrrh dh-r-r

literal: atom; atoms

SE rendered چقدر (chqdr), متحيّر (mtḥíḥr), ذرّه (dhrrh), شیء (shíʾ), از (iz), تعمّق (tʿmmq), غمرات (ghmrát) as “How, bewildering, the attempt to fathom, the sacred depths”

atom 28% every 17% within 11% however 11% single 6% insignificant 6% weight 6% time 6% dust 6% one 6%
شیء
shíʾ sh-y-ʾ

literal: thing; things

SE rendered چقدر (chqdr), متحيّر (mtḥíḥr), ذرّه (dhrrh), شیء (shíʾ), از (iz), تعمّق (tʿmmq), غمرات (ghmrát) as “How, bewildering, the attempt to fathom, the sacred depths”

things 49% nothing 18% created 9% all 5% anything 5% thing 3% creation 3% none 3% one 2% which 1%
لجّه
ljjh l-j-j

literal: depth; depth, abyss, sea

SE rendered تعمّق (tʿmmq), غمرات (ghmrát), لجّه (ljjh), قدس (qds), عرفان (ʿrfán), تو (tú), چه (chh), مقدار (mqdár), عاجز (ʿájz) as “the attempt to fathom, the sacred depths, Thy knowledge, How, vast the number, futile”

ocean 33% sacred 17% waters 17% beneath 17% depths 17%
شوی

literal: become; to become

SE rendered بيند (bínd), گويم (gúym), بقلب (bqlb), ادراک (idrák), شوی (shúy), قلب (qlb), عارف (ʿárf), بمقامات (bmqámát), تجلّی (tjllí) as “discerned, can, heart, apprehend, have comprehended, significance, potentialities”

mayest 27% wilt 27% thou 20% wert 7% become 7% may 7% shouldst 7%
مانی
mání m-ʾ-n

literal: remain; to remain; peerless

SE rendered مستور (mstúr), غير (ghír), معروف (mʿrúf), مانی (mání), چه (chh), يزل (yzl), ابواب (ibúáb), فضل (fḍl), وصل (wṣl) as “inscrutable, all, of, throughout, portals, grace, Presence”

may 20% remain 20% mayest 10% peerless 10% become 10% bereft 10% kept 10% how 10%
لقايت
lqáyt l-q-y

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

SE rendered يزل (yzl), ابواب (ibúáb), فضل (fḍl), وصل (wṣl), لقايت (lqáyt), بر (br), وجه (wjh), ممکنات (mmknát), مفتوح (mftúḥ), تجلّيات (tjllíát) as “throughout, portals, grace, Presence, all, created, open, revelations”

presence 38% before 13% have 8% attain 7% reunion 6% when 6% attainment 6% divine 6% behold 5% meet 5%
بيمثالت
bímthált m-th-l → “thy”

literal: like; likeness; example

SE rendered مفتوح (mftúḥ), تجلّيات (tjllíát), انوار (inúár), جمال (jmál), بيمثالت (bímthált), بر (br), اعراش (iʿrásh), وجود (wjúd), از (iz), مشهود (mshhúd) as “open, revelations, matchless, Beauty, Thy, realities, beings, visible”

like 27% such 22% peerless 9% instance 8% even 7% equal 6% similar 6% consider 6% likeness 5% same 5%
اعظم
iʿẓm ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; great; greatness

SE rendered مفقود (mfqúd), مستوی (mstúy), ظهور (ẓhúr), فضل (fḍl), اعظم (iʿẓm), عنايت (ʿnáyt), اتمّ (itmm), اقوم (iqúm), شهادت (shhádt), ميدهم (mídhm) as “and, imprinted, most, favor, gracious, perfect, testify, moved”

جلال
jlál j-l-l

literal: glory; majesty

SE rendered اتمّ (itmm), اقوم (iqúm), شهادت (shhádt), ميدهم (mídhm), ساحت (sáḥt), جلال (jlál), قدست (qdst), از (iz), عرفان (ʿrfán), غير (ghír), مقدّس (mqdds) as “perfect, testify, moved, court, holiness”

خواهد
khúáhd khúástn

literal: will; to want/will

SE rendered اُنست (unst), از (iz), ادراک (idrák), سوی (súy), منزّه (mnzzh), خواهد (khúáhd), بکينونت (bkínúnt) as “Presence, mind, exalted, Thyself can”

will 59% shall 11% endure 4% can 4% ever 4% desireth 4% purpose 4% could 4% would 4% wishing 4%
کمال
kmál k-m-l

literal: perfection; perfect; complete

SE rendered مبهوت (mbhút), گشته‌اند (gshth‌ánd), بسا (bsá), عشّاق (ʿshsháq), کمال (kmál), طلب (ṭlb), اشتياق (ishtíáq), از (iz), شعله (shʿlh), ملتهبه (mlthbh) as “were, bewildered, Myriad, ardent, hearts, consuming, flame”

طلب
ṭlb ṭ-l-b

literal: seeking; seek; seeker

SE rendered گشته‌اند (gshth‌ánd), بسا (bsá), عشّاق (ʿshsháq), کمال (kmál), طلب (ṭlb), اشتياق (ishtíáq), از (iz), شعله (shʿlh), ملتهبه (mlthbh) as “bewildered, Myriad, ardent, hearts, consuming, flame”

search 19% eagerness 16% seeking 13% asked 9% desire 9% quest 9% ask 6% pursue 6% pray 6% seek 6%
نار
nár n-ʾ-r

literal: fire; fire, flame

SE rendered اشتياق (ishtíáq), از (iz), شعله (shʿlh), ملتهبه (mlthbh), نار (nár), فراق (fráq), محترق (mḥtrq), چه (chh), بسيار (bsíár) as “hearts, consuming, flame, remoteness, hath, numberless”

fire 64% flame 17% flames 5% into 3% hell 3% former 3% latter 3% afire 1% set 1% utter 1%
رسد
rsd rsídn

literal: reach; to reach; arrive

SE rendered ناله (nálh), حنين (ḥnín), عاشقين (ʿáshqín), بساحت (bsáḥt), قدست (qdst), رسد (rsd), نه (nh), صيحه (ṣíḥh), ندبه (ndbh), قاصدين (qáṣdín), مشتاقين (mshtáqín) as “sighs, moans, court, holy, lamentations, wayfarers, longing”

how 58% attaineth 11% can 11% ended 5% much 5% attain 5% what 5%
ندبه
ndbh n-d-b

literal: lamentation

SE rendered بساحت (bsáḥt), قدست (qdst), رسد (rsd), نه (nh), صيحه (ṣíḥh), ندبه (ndbh), قاصدين (qáṣdín), مشتاقين (mshtáqín), بمقام (bmqám), قربت (qrbt) as “court, holy, lamentations, wayfarers, longing, seat, attain”

آيد
áyd ʾ-y-d

literal: support; come; strengthen

SE rendered قاصدين (qáṣdín), مشتاقين (mshtáqín), بمقام (bmqám), قربت (qrbt), آيد (áyd) as “wayfarers, longing, seat, attain”

may 33% assist 33% aid 10% all-merciful 5% will 5% “seal.” 5% how 5% step 5%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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59 ¶