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Gleanings — §167

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 167 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

فوالله یا قوم إنّي قد کنت راقدًا علی بساطي ولکن نسمة الله أیقظتني وروح الله أحیتني ولسان الله تکلّم علی لساني لست أنا بمذنب أنتم لا تنظروني بعیونکم بل بعیني وبذلك أمرتم من لدن عزیز علیم ویا قوم هل تظنّون بأنّ الأمر بیدي لا فونفس الله المقتدر المتعالي العلیم الحکیم فوالله لو کان الأمر بیدي ما أظهرت نفسي علیکم في أقلّ من آنٍ وما تکلّمت بکلمة وکان الله علی ذلك شهید وعلیم...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

God is My witness, O people! I was asleep on My couch, when lo, the Breeze of God wafting over Me roused Me from My slumber. His quickening Spirit revived Me, and My tongue was unloosed to voice His Call. Accuse Me not of having transgressed against God. Behold Me, not with your eyes but with Mine. Thus admonisheth you He Who is the Gracious, the All-Knowing. Think ye, O people, that I hold within My grasp the control of God’s ultimate Will and Purpose? Far be it from Me to advance such claim. To this I testify before God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Had the ultimate destiny of God’s Faith been in Mine hands, I would have never consented, even though for one moment, to manifest Myself unto you, nor would I have allowed one word to fall from My lips. Of this God Himself is, verily, a witness.

Translation Notes

فوالله
w-l-h → “Rapture” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

یا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

قوم
q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

إنّي
ʾ-n-n → “I”

literal: I, verily; behold I

قد
q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

کنت
k-w-n → “was”

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

راقدًا
r-q-d → “asleep”

literal: to sleep; to slumber; sleeping

علی
ʿ-l-w → “on” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بساطي
b-s-ṭ → “court” Distinctive

literal: carpet; mat; carpet of realm; expanse; table; surface

ولکن
l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

نسمة
n-s-m → “Breeze”

literal: heaven; sky

الله
ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

أیقظتني
y-q-ẓ → “wakened” Distinctive

literal: awakened; awakening; title of a work

وروح
r-w-ḥ → “His quickening Spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

أحیتني
ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

ولسان
l-s-n → “and My tongue”

literal: tongue; language

تکلّم
k-l-m → “words” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions

لست
l-y-s → “is not” Distinctive

literal: is not; not; not-be

أنا
ʾ-n → “I” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بمذنب
dh-n-b → “sin”

literal: sin; crime; offense; fault

أنتم
n-t-m

literal: you

لا
l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تنظروني
n-ẓ-r → “Behold Me”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بعیونکم
ʿ-y-n → “with your eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

بل
b-l → “but”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

وبذلك
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: that; this; it; by that

أمرتم
ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

من
m-n

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

لدن
l-d-n → “by”

literal: from; on the part of; from before; near

عزیز
ʿ-z-z → “Gracious” Distinctive

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

علیم
ʿ-l-m → “All-Knowing”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

هل
h-l

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

تظنّون
ẓ-n-n → “Think ye”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

بأنّ
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

بیدي
y-d-y → “hands”

literal: hand; power; action; possession

فونفس
n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

المقتدر
q-d-r → “the Almighty”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الحکیم
ḥ-k-m → “the All-Wise”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

أظهرت
ẓ-h-r → “to manifest Myself” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

علیکم
ʿ-l-y → “unto you”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

في
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

أقلّ
q-l-l → “less”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

شهید
sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

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