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Gleanings — §161

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 161 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

وإنّها لو تطلع بغتةً في وسط السّمآء یضرّ حرارتها الأشیآء کذلک فانظر في شمس المعاني لتکون من المطّلعین فإنّها لو تستشرق في أوّل فجر الظّهور بأنوار الّتي قدّر الله لها لیحترق أرض العرفان من قلوب العباد لأنّهم لن یقدرنّ أن یحملنّها أو یستعکسنّ منها بل یضطربنّ منها ویکوننّ من المعدومین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things.… In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.

Translation Notes

وإنّها
ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: it is; that it is

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

تطلع
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

بغتةً
b-gh-t → “all of a sudden”

literal: suddenly; unexpectedly

في
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

وسط
w-s-ṭ

literal: mediator; intermediary; means; to mediate

السّمآء
s-m-w

literal: heaven; sky

یضرّ
ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: to strike; to beat; to afflict

حرارتها
ḥ-r-r → “heat” Distinctive

literal: to set free; to write down; to compose; حرارة (heat) is from ح-ر-ر but distinct semantic development from ‘free/write’

الأشیآء
sh-y-ʾ → “to all created things.…”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

کذلک
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

فانظر
n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

شمس
sh-m-s → “Sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

المعاني
ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

تستشرق
sh-r-q → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: to scatter; to spread; to unfold; to disseminate

أوّل
ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

فجر
f-j-r

literal: dawn; dayspring; to break (of dawn)

الظّهور
ẓ-h-r → “its manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بأنوار
n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

الّتي
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

قدّر
q-d-r → “hath bestowed” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

لها
l-h-w → “for him”

literal: to it; towards it; unto it

لیحترق
ḥ-r-q → “consumed”

literal: to burn; to be consumed by fire; burning

أرض
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

العرفان
ʿ-r-f → “of human understanding”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

قلوب
q-l-b → “men’s hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

العباد
ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

لن
l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

أن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

یحملنّها
ḥ-m-l → “bear” Distinctive

literal: to bear; to endure; to carry; to tolerate

أو
h-w-w → “nor” Distinctive

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

یستعکسنّ
ʿ-k-s → “reflect”

literal: opposite; reverse; contrary; conversely

منها
m-n → “radiance of its light” Distinctive

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

بل
b-l

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

یضطربنّ
ḍ-r-b → “tremble” Distinctive

literal: to strike; to beat; to afflict

ویکوننّ
k-w-n → “be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

المعدومین
ʿ-d-m → “nothingness” Distinctive

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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