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Gleanings — §20

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 20 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

کلمه عليا تفکّر نمايد فی الجمله بر مقام اين أمر أعظم أقدس أعلی آگاه شود مقام ظهور که معلوم شد مقام طائفين معلوم و واضح است لعمر اللّه نَفَسی که از نفسی در اين امر بر آيد معادله نمينمايد باو کنوز أرض طوبی لمن فاز ويل للغافلين.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Whoso hath searched the depths of the oceans that lie hid within these exalted words, and fathomed their import, can be said to have discovered a glimmer of the unspeakable glory with which this mighty, this sublime, and most holy Revelation hath been endowed. From the excellence of so great a Revelation the honor with which its faithful followers must needs be invested can be well imagined. By the righteousness of the one true God! The very breath of these souls is in itself richer than all the treasures of the earth. Happy is the man that hath attained thereunto, and woe betide the heedless.

Translation Notes

کلمه
k-l-m → “exalted words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

تفکّر
f-k-r → “ponder”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

نمايد
n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

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

فی
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الجمله
j-m-l → “Beauty” Distinctive

literal: beauty; comeliness

بر
b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

مقام
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

اين
ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

أمر
ʾ-m-r → “Revelation”

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

أعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m → “great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

أقدس
q-d-s → “most holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

أعلی
ʿ-l-w → “sublime” Distinctive

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

آگاه
ʾ-g-h → “cognizant”

literal: aware; cognizant; informed; apprised; awareness; knowledge; consciousness

شود
sh-w-d → “can be said”

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

ظهور
ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

که
k-h → “that lie hid”

literal: that; who; who, that

معلوم
ʿ-l-m → “well imagined” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

شد
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

طائفين
ṭ-w-f → “circle”

literal: flood, deluge, tempest

واضح
w-ḍ-ḥ

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

است
b-w-d

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

لعمر
ʿ-m-r → “By the righteousness”

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

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “the one true God”

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

نَفَسی
n-f-s → “very breath” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

آيد
ʾ-y-d

literal: come; support; may aid

معادله
ʿ-d-l → “justice” Distinctive

literal: justice; equity

باو
ʾ-w-w → “him”

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

کنوز
k-n-z → “treasures”

literal: treasure; treasure-trove; hidden store; treasury

أرض
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

طوبی
ṭ-w-b → “Happy”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لمن
m-n → “man that” Distinctive

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

فاز
f-w-z → “hath attained”

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

ويل
w-y-l → “woe betide”

literal: woe; alas; grief

للغافلين.
gh-f-l → “heedless”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶