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Gleanings — §120

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 120 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ی اسم یا مختار انسانرا از بین امم و خلایق برای معرفت و محبّت خود که علّت غائی و سبب خلقت کائنات بود اختیار نمود.... زیرا کینونت و حقیقت هر شیئی را باسمی از اسماء تجلّی نمود و بصفتی از صفات اشراق فرمود مگر انسان را که مظهر کلّ اسماء و صفات و مرآت کینونت خود قرار فرمود و باین فضل عظیم و مرحمت قدیم خود اختصاص نمود ولکن این تجلّیات انوار صبح هدایت و اشراقات انوار شمس عنایت در حقیقت انسان مستور و محجوبست چنانچه شعله و اشعّه و انوار در حقیقت شمع و سراج مستور است و تابش و رخشش آفتاب جه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him — a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation.… Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.

Translation Notes

از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered مختار (mkhtár)انسانرا (insánrá)از (iz)امم (imm)خلایق (khláyq)برای (bráy)معرفت (mʿrft) as “unconstrained and sovereign Will, man, created, know Him”

23 occurrences in corpus

امم
imm ʾ-m-m

literal: nations; nation

SE rendered مختار (mkhtár)انسانرا (insánrá)از (iz)امم (imm)خلایق (khláyq)برای (bráy)معرفت (mʿrft)محبّت (mḥbbt) as “unconstrained and sovereign Will, man, created, know Him, love Him”

برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered انسانرا (insánrá)از (iz)امم (imm)خلایق (khláyq)برای (bráy)معرفت (mʿrft)محبّت (mḥbbt) as “man, created, know Him, love Him”

wherefore 50% light 50%
علّت
ʿllt ʿ-l-l

literal: cause; reason

SE rendered معرفت (mʿrft)محبّت (mḥbbt)علّت (ʿllt)غائی (gháʾí)سبب (sbb)خلقت (khlqt)کائنات (káʾnát) as “know Him, love Him, primary purpose, created, whole of creation.…”

cause 20% caused 13% motive 13% source 13% causeth 7% pretext 7% reason 7% essential 7% cannot 7% fix 7%
غائی
gháʾí gh-y-y

literal: extreme; goal; utmost

SE rendered معرفت (mʿrft)محبّت (mḥbbt)علّت (ʿllt)غائی (gháʾí)سبب (sbb)خلقت (khlqt)کائنات (káʾnát)اختیار (ikhtíár) as “know Him, love Him, primary purpose, created, whole of creation.…, chose to confer”

highest 22% utmost 11% error 11% acme 11% infinitely 11% ultimate 11% aspiration 11% greatest 11%
زیرا
zírá z-y-r

literal: under

SE rendered کائنات (káʾnát)اختیار (ikhtíár)نمود (nmúd)زیرا (zírá)کینونت (kínúnt)حقیقت (ḥqíqt)هر (hr)شیئی (shíʾí) as “whole of creation.…, chose to confer, hath, inmost reality, each, thing”

inasmuch 71% beneath 14% under 14%
اشراق
ishráq sh-r-q

literal: shining; shine

SE rendered تجلّی (tjllí)نمود (nmúd)بصفتی (bṣftí)از (iz)صفات (ṣfát)اشراق (ishráq)فرمود (frmúd)مگر (mgr)انسان (insán)مظهر (mẓhr) as “shed the light, hath, one of His attributes, He, however, man, recipient”

باین
báyn b-y-n

literal: utterance; explanation; between

SE rendered مرآت (mrát)کینونت (kínúnt)قرار (qrár)فرمود (frmúd)باین (báyn)فضل (fḍl)عظیم (ʿẓím)مرحمت (mrḥmt) as “mirror, own Self, made it, hath focused, so great a favor, enduring a bounty”

عظیم
ʿẓím ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; great; greatness

SE rendered کینونت (kínúnt)قرار (qrár)فرمود (frmúd)باین (báyn)فضل (fḍl)عظیم (ʿẓím)مرحمت (mrḥmt)قدیم (qdím)اختصاص (ikhtṣáṣ) as “own Self, made it, hath focused, so great a favor, enduring a bounty, singled out”

قدیم
qdím q-d-m

literal: ancient; eternity

SE rendered فرمود (frmúd)باین (báyn)فضل (fḍl)عظیم (ʿẓím)مرحمت (mrḥmt)قدیم (qdím)اختصاص (ikhtṣáṣ) as “hath focused, so great a favor, enduring a bounty, singled out”

ancient 77% which 8% eternal 8% past 8%
ولکن
wlkn l-k-n

literal: but, however; but/however

SE rendered مرحمت (mrḥmt)قدیم (qdím)اختصاص (ikhtṣáṣ)نمود (nmúd)ولکن (wlkn)تجلّیات (tjllíát)انوار (inúár)صبح (ṣbḥ)هدایت (hdáyt) as “enduring a bounty, singled out”

however 67% when 11% pursuance 11% yet 11%
شمس
shms sh-m-s

literal: sun; suns; the sun

SE rendered اشراقات (ishráqát)انوار (inúár)شمس (shms)عنایت (ʿnáyt)حقیقت (ḥqíqt)انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr) as “reality of, man”

عنایت
ʿnáyt ʿ-n-y

literal: care

SE rendered اشراقات (ishráqát)انوار (inúár)شمس (shms)عنایت (ʿnáyt)حقیقت (ḥqíqt)انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr) as “reality of, man”

مستور
mstúr s-t-r

literal: hidden; concealed; veil

SE rendered حقیقت (ḥqíqt)انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr)محجوبست (mḥjúbst)چنانچه (chnánchh)شعله (shʿlh) as “reality of, man”

hidden 43% concealed 26% hid 6% lie 6% veiled 6% hide 3% yet 3% whatsoever 3% unrevealed 3% enshrined 3%
محجوبست
mḥjúbst ḥ-j-b

literal: veil; veiled; veils

SE rendered حقیقت (ḥqíqt)انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr)محجوبست (mḥjúbst)چنانچه (chnánchh)شعله (shʿlh)اشعّه (ishʿʿh)انوار (inúár) as “reality of, man, radiance of”

veils 30% veil 27% veiled 17% shut 9% wrapt 4% unveiled 4% have 3% deprived 3% obscure 3% concealment 2%
چنانچه
chnánchh ch-n-n

literal: likewise; as; just as

SE rendered حقیقت (ḥqíqt)انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr)محجوبست (mḥjúbst)چنانچه (chnánchh)شعله (shʿlh)اشعّه (ishʿʿh)انوار (inúár) as “reality of, man, radiance of”

even 50% thus 17% thou 8% truth 8% when 8% since 8%
شعله
shʿlh sh-ʿ-l

literal: flame

SE rendered انسان (insán)مستور (mstúr)محجوبست (mḥjúbst)چنانچه (chnánchh)شعله (shʿlh)اشعّه (ishʿʿh)انوار (inúár) as “man, radiance of”

kindled 27% hath 15% set 12% burned 8% burning 8% inflamed 8% torch 8% flame 8% grew 4% burneth 4%
اشعّه
ishʿʿh sh-ʿ-ʿ

literal: ray; radiance; gleaming

SE rendered محجوبست (mḥjúbst)چنانچه (chnánchh)شعله (shʿlh)اشعّه (ishʿʿh)انوار (inúár) as “radiance of”

شمع
shmʿ sh-m-ʿ

literal: candle

SE rendered اشعّه (ishʿʿh)انوار (inúár)حقیقت (ḥqíqt)شمع (shmʿ) as “radiance of”

6 occurrences in corpus

تابش
tábsh t-b-sh

literal: shining, radiation

1 occurrence in corpus

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