Gleanings — §183

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 183 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قد قُیِّدَ جمال القِدم لإطلاق العالم وحُبس في الحصن الأعظم لعتق العالمین واختار لنفسه الأحزان لسرور من في الأكوان. هذا من رحمة ربّك الرّحمن الرّحیم. قد قبلنا الذّلّة لعزّكم والشّداید لرخائكم یا ملأ الموحّدین إنّ الّذي جآء لتعمیر العالم قد أسكنه المشرکون في أخرب البلاد...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities!

Translation Notes

قد

q-d → “We have been”

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

قُیِّدَ

q-y-d → “bound with chains”

literal: restriction; confinement; limitation; obedience; submission; being led

جمال

j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

القِدم

q-d-m → “Ancient”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

لإطلاق

literal: divorce; release; freeing

العالم

ʿ-l-m → “mankind” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وحُبس

ḥ-b-s → “cast Him into prison” Distinctive

literal: to confine; to detain; prison

في

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الحصن

ḥ-ṣ-n → “Stronghold”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

الأعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “most mighty” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

لعتق

ʿ-t-q → “released”

literal: freedom; liberation; to free; to emancipate

واختار

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

لنفسه

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الأحزان

ḥ-z-n → “sorrow”

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish

لسرور

s-r-r → “joy”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

من

m-n → “of”

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

الأكوان.

k-w-n → “all the peoples of the earth” Distinctive

literal: be; was; to be

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “This is”

literal: this; that

رحمة

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

ربّك

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قبلنا

q-b-l → “have accepted”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الذّلّة

dh-l-l → “be abased”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

لعزّكم

ʿ-z-z → “that ye may be exalted”

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

والشّداید

sh-d-d → “have suffered manifold afflictions”

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

لرخائكم

r-kh-y → “affluence”

literal: ease, comfort, abundance, prosperity

یا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

ملأ

m-l-ʾ → “believers” Distinctive

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الموحّدین

w-ḥ-d → “in the Unity of God”

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

إنّ

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الّذي

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

جآء

j-y-ʾ → “hath come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

لتعمیر

ʿ-m-r → “By My life” Distinctive

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

أسكنه

s-k-n → “forced Him to dwell”

literal: dwelling; inhabitants; dwell

المشرکون

sh-r-k → “they that have joined partners with God” Distinctive

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

أخرب

kh-r-b → “most desolate”

literal: ruin; desolation

البلاد...

b-l-d → “cities”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

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