Gleanings — §199

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 199 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن ادخلوا یا قوم في هذا الفضآء الّذي ما قدّر له من أوّل ولا من آخر وفیه ارتفع ندآء الله وتهبّ روایح قدسه المنیع ولا تجعلوا أجسادكم عریًّا عن ردآء العزّ ولا قلوبكم عن ذكر ربّكم ولا سمعكم عن استماع نغماته الأبدع الأمنع العزیز الأفصح البلیغ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Strive, O people, to gain admittance into this vast Immensity for which God ordained neither beginning nor end, in which His voice hath been raised, and over which have been wafted the sweet savors of holiness and glory. Divest not yourselves of the Robe of grandeur, neither suffer your hearts to be deprived of remembering your Lord, nor your ears of hearkening unto the sweet melodies of His wondrous, His sublime, His all-compelling, His clear, and most eloquent voice.

Translation Notes

أن

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ادخلوا

d-kh-l → “enter”

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

یا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

قوم

q-w-m → “people”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

في

f-y → “in”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الفضآء

f-ḍ-w → “realm” Distinctive

literal: space; expanse; void

الّذي

l-dh-y → “which”

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قدّر

q-d-r → “ordained”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

له

h-w → “for” Distinctive

literal: for them both; to both of them (dual pronoun)

من

m-n → “nor” Distinctive

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

أوّل

ʾ-w-l → “beginning”

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

ولا

w-l-y → “nor” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

آخر

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

ارتفع

r-f-ʿ → “been raised”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

ندآء

n-d-y → “voice”

literal: call; voice; proclamation; forty; forty years

الله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

وتهبّ

h-b-b → “wafted”

literal: blowing; onset; rushing of wind

روایح

r-w-ḥ → “savors”

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

قدسه

q-d-s → “holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

المنیع

m-n-ʿ → “sublime” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

تجعلوا

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

أجسادكم

j-s-d → “bodies” Distinctive

literal: body; corpse; physical form

عریًّا

ʿ-r-w → “which is afflicted” Distinctive

literal: naked; bare; stripped

عن

ʿ-n → “of”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ردآء

r-d-y → “Robe”

literal: will; desire; intention; volition

العزّ

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

قلوبكم

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

ذكر

dh-k-r → “remembering” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

ربّكم

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

سمعكم

s-m-ʿ → “ears”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

نغماته

n-gh-m → “melodies”

literal: melody; tone; note

الأبدع

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

الأفصح

f-ṣ-ḥ → “most eloquent language”

literal: eloquent; most eloquent; eloquent-ones

البلیغ

b-l-gh → “teach” Distinctive

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

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