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Gleanings — §220

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 220 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

هر منصفی شهادت داده و میدهد که این مظلوم از اوّل ظهور کل را بافق اعلی دعوت نموده و از شقاوت و بغضا و بغی و فحشا منع فرموده مع‌ذلک اهل اعتساف وارد آوردند آنچه را که قلم از ذکرش عاجز و قاصر است حقّ حیات و راحت از برای کل خواسته ولکن عباد در قتل احبّا و سفک دم مطهّرش فتوی داده‌اند

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Every unbiased observer will readily admit that, ever since the dawn of His Revelation, this wronged One hath invited all mankind to turn their faces towards the Dayspring of Glory, and hath forbidden corruption, hatred, oppression, and wickedness. And yet, behold what the hand of the oppressor hath wrought! No pen dare describe his tyranny. Though the purpose of Him Who is the Eternal Truth hath been to confer everlasting life upon all men, and ensure their security and peace, yet witness how they have arisen to shed the blood of His loved ones, and have pronounced on Him the sentence of death.

Translation Notes

هر
h-r → “Every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

منصفی
n-ṣ-f → “equity” Distinctive

literal: justice; fairness; equity

شهادت
sh-h-d → “witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

داده
d-ʾ-d

literal: below; lower than; beneath

میدهد
d-h → “imputed” Distinctive

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

که
k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

این
ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مظلوم
ẓ-l-m → “wronged One”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

اوّل
ʾ-w-l → “first”

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

ظهور
ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

کل
k-l-l → “all mankind”

literal: for us; to us

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بافق
ʾ-f-q → “Dayspring of” Distinctive

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

اعلی
ʿ-l-w → “Glory” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

دعوت
d-ʿ-w → “summoned”

literal: call; invitation; claim

نموده
n-m-ود

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

شقاوت
sh-q-w → “misery”

literal: wretchedness; misery; ill-fortune

بغضا
b-gh-ḍ → “hatred”

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

بغی
b-gh-y → “oppression”

literal: to seek; to desire; to rebel; to transgress

فحشا
f-ḥ-sh → “wickedness”

literal: indecency; wickedness; iniquity; obscenity

منع
m-n-ʿ

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

فرموده
f-r-m → “hath forbidden” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

مع‌ذلک
dh-l-k

literal: nevertheless; despite this; yet; however

اهل
ʾ-h-l → “the”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

اعتساف
ʿ-s-f → “injustice”

literal: oppression; tyranny; wrongdoing; unjust treatment

وارد
w-r-d → “hath wrought” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

آوردند
ʾ-w-r

literal: to bring; bring; brought

آنچه
ʾ-n

literal: that; indeed; that, to

قلم
q-l-m → “pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

ذکرش
dh-k-r → “dare describe his”

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

عاجز
ʿ-j-z

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

قاصر
q-ṣ-r

literal: shortcoming; negligence; falling short; to be deficient

است
b-w-d

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

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “Eternal Truth”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

حیات
ḥ-y-y → “everlasting life”

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute

راحت
r-w-ḥ → “security and peace” Distinctive

literal: rest; comfort; ease; relief

برای
b-r-y → “Briefly” Distinctive

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

خواسته
kh-w-s → “hath been to confer”

literal: to wish; to desire; request

ولکن
l-k-n → “yet” Distinctive

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

عباد
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

قتل
q-t-l → “death”

literal: slayer; killer; murderer

احبّا
ḥ-b-b → “His loved ones”

literal: love; affection

سفک
s-f-k

literal: to shed; to spill; bloodshed; to shed (blood)

دم
d-m-m → “blood”

literal: breath; moment; instant

مطهّرش
ṭ-h-r

literal: purify; pure; purified

فتوی
f-t-w → “through the decree pronounced” Distinctive

literal: fatwa; legal decision; pronouncement

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