Gleanings — §142

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 142 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

دوستی سرایان است بگوش دوستان رسید پس فرمان شد که این بنده بپاسخ برخی از پرسشها لب گشاید و آنچه از رازها که نگارش آن شاید آشکار نماید در آن نامهٴ دلپسند نگارش رفته بود که کدام از کیش‌آوران بر دیگری برتری دارد در اینجا خداوند یگانه میفرماید میان پیمبران جدائی ننهیم چون خواست همه یکی است و راز همگی یکسان جدائی و برتری میان ایشان روا نه پیمبر راستگو خود را بنام پیمبر پیشین خوانده پس چون کسی بنهان این گفتار پی‌نبرد بگفته‌های ناشایسته پردازد دانای بینا را از گفتهٴ او لغزش پدیدار نشود اگرچه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The songs which the bird of thine heart had uttered in its great love for its friends have reached their ears, and moved Me to answer thy questions, and reveal to thee such secrets as I am allowed to unfold. In thine esteemed letter thou hadst inquired which of the Prophets of God should be regarded as superior to others. Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to comprehend this truth, and should consequently indulge in vain and unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and whose understanding is enlightened would ever allow such idle talk to cause him to waver in his belief.

Translation Notes

دوستی

d-w-s-t → “friends”

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

سرایان

s-r-ʾ → “songs”

literal: lamp; light; illuminator

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

بگوش

g-w-sh → “ears”

literal: ear; to hear, listen

رسید

r-s-d → “reached”

literal: to arrive; to reach; to attain; to come

پس

p-s

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

فرمان

f-r-m-ʾ-n → “boweth before Thy behest”

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

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

این

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

بنده

b-n-d

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

بپاسخ

p-ʾ-s-kh → “answer”

literal: answer, response

برخی

b-r-kh

literal: to rise; to stand up; to arise; to rebel

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

پرسشها

p-r-s → “questions”

literal: question, inquiry

لب

l-b

literal: core; essence; intellect; hearts (of understanding)

گشاید

g-sh-ʾ

literal: open; opened; opens

آنچه

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

رازها

r-ʾ-z → “secrets”

literal: secret; mystery

نگارش

n-g-ʾ-r

literal: to deem; to regard; to consider; to hold

شاید

sh-y-d

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

آشکار

sh-k-r → “render thanks” Distinctive

literal: manifest; evident; apparent; clear

نماید

n-m-ʾ → “may”

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

نامهٴ

n-ʾ-m → “name” Distinctive

literal: to name; to call; to designate

دلپسند

d-ل + پ-s-n-d → “esteemed”

literal: pleasing to the heart; beloved; delightful

رفته

r-f-t → “fled”

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

کدام

k-d-m → “which”

literal: which; what; whoever; any

کیش‌آوران

k-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: would that; O that; if only

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

دیگری

d-g-r → “others”

literal: other; another; different

برتری

b-r-t-r → “superior”

literal: higher; superior; elevated; to transcend

دارد

d-ʾ-r

literal: to have; to hold; to possess; to maintain

اینجا

j-ʾ

literal: here, this place; place

یگانه

y-g-ʾ-n → “same”

literal: oneness; unity; singleness; uniqueness

میفرماید

f-r-m → “saith”

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

میان

m-y-n → “midst”

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

پیمبران

p-y-m-b-r → “Prophets”

literal: covenant; bond; pledge; testament; to measure; to traverse; to pass

جدائی

j-d-ʾ → “distinct”

literal: separation, distinction; separate; separately

ننهیم

n-h

literal: to place; to lay down; to set; to submit

چون

ch-w-n

literal: since; when; as

خواست

kh-w-ʾ-s-t → “purpose”

literal: to wish, to desire, to want, to ask, to request; wish, desire, will

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

یکی

w-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

همگی

h-m-g

literal: all; everyone; together

یکسان

y-k-s → “equalled”

literal: the same; uniform; equal; alike

ایشان

ʾ-y-sh

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

روا

r-w-y → “tradition” Distinctive

literal: face; grow; tradition

نه

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: end; ended; utmost

راستگو

q-w-l → “hath regarded” Distinctive

literal: truthfulness; righteousness; right guidance

خود

kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بنام

s-m-w

literal: in the name of; by the name of

پیشین

p-y-sh

literal: before; previous, former; presence

خوانده

kh-w-ʾ-n

literal: to read; unread; illiterate

کسی

k-s → “him”

literal: someone; anyone; a person

بنهان

n-h-f-t

literal: hidden; secret; to hide

گفتار

g-f-t → “said” Distinctive

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

پی‌نبرد

p-ی + ب-r-d → “fail to comprehend”

literal: comprehend, understand

ناشایسته

sh-y-n → ““shin” Distinctive

literal: fitting, suitable, worthy, appropriate; worthy; fitting; befitting; suitable

پردازد

p-r-d-ʾ-z → “occupied”

literal: engage in, indulge; occupied, engaged; engage

دانای

d-ʾ-n → “understanding”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

بینا

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

او

h-w-w

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

لغزش

l-gh-z

literal: slip, error; slip; abstruse

پدیدار

p-d-y-d

literal: manifest; visible; apparent

نشود

sh-w-d → “be”

literal: to not become; to not be

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶