Gleanings — §140

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 140 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

سپاس و ستایش خداوندیرا سزاوار که آفرینش را بتوانائی خود از برهنگی نابودی رهائی داد و بپوشش زندگی سرافرازی بخشید پس گوهر پاک مردمرا از میان آفریدگان برگزید و او را بپوشش بزرگی آرایش فرمود هر که زنگ خواهش از آئینهٴ دل زدود سزاوار این پوشش یزدانی شد و خود را از برهنگی نادانی رهائی داد این پوشش تن

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His might, hath delivered His creation from the nakedness of nonexistence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him. It hath served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.

Translation Notes

سپاس

s-p-s → “ingratitude” Distinctive

literal: praise; thanks; thanksgiving (Persian)

ستایش

s-t-y → “praised”

literal: praise; glorification; laudation; level; equal; balanced

خداوندیرا

kh-d-ʾ → “God”

literal: God

سزاوار

s-z-w → “be”

literal: worthy; fitting; deserving; appropriate; suitable

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

آفرینش

kh-l-q → “creation”

literal: creation; create; created

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بتوانائی

t-w-n → “power” Distinctive

literal: to be able, can; power, strength

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

برهنگی

b-r-h → “proof” Distinctive

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

نابودی

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

رهائی

r-h-ʾ → “rescue”

literal: way; path; road; deliverance; liberation; freedom

داد

d-ʾ-d → “of equity”

literal: to give; to grant; to present; justice; judgment; to see; sight; eye; seen

بپوشش

p-w-sh → “clothed it with the mantle”

literal: hidden, concealed, covered

زندگی

z-n-d → “life”

literal: prison; jail

سرافرازی

literal: to kindle, to light, to inflame

بخشید

literal: to grant; to give; to forgive; to bestow

پس

p-s

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

گوهر

g-w-h → “beareth Me witness” Distinctive

literal: gem; jewel; essence; pearl

پاک

p-ʾ-k → “pure”

literal: pure; clean; sanctified; holy

مردمرا

m-r-d → “man”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

میان

m-y-n → “midst”

literal: between; among; amid; in the midst of

آفریدگان

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

برگزید

g-z-y → “hath singled out”

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

او

h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

بزرگی

b-z-r-g → “greatness”

literal: great; large; important; grandeur

آرایش

literal: to will; to intend; to desire; to display; to show; to present

فرمود

f-r-m → “He” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

زنگ

z-n-g → “dross”

literal: chain; bonds

خواهش

kh-w-h → “will” Distinctive

literal: self; own; personal

دل

d-l → “heart”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

زدود

z-d-w → “cleansed”

literal: to push away; to remove; to wipe

این

ʾ-y-n → “the”

literal: mirror; law; rite; where; whither

یزدانی

literal: God, the Almighty (Persian term)

شد

sh-d → “made him” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

نادانی

d-ʾ-n → “ignorance”

literal: call; voice; proclamation

تن

t-n

literal: body

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