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Gleanings — §248

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 248 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قل ان كنتم تریدون الدّنیا وزخرفها ینبغی لكم بأن تطلبوها في الأیّام الّتی كنتم في بطون امّهاتكم لأنّ في تلك الأیّام في كلّ آن تقرّبتم الی الدّنیا وتبعّدتم عنها ان كنتم من العاقلین فلمّا ولدتم وبلغ اشدّكم اذاً تبعّدتم عن الدّنیا وتقرّبتم الی التّراب فكیف تحرصون في جمع الزّخارف علی انفسكم بعد الّذی فات الوقت عنكم ومضت الفرصة فتنبّهوا یا ملأ الغافلین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Say: If ye be seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye should have sought them while ye were still enclosed in your mothers’ wombs, for at that time ye were continually approaching them, could ye but perceive it. Ye have, on the other hand, ever since ye were born and attained maturity, been all the while receding from the world and drawing closer to dust. Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost? Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?

Translation Notes

قل
q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

ان
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

كنتم
k-w-n → “ye be”

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

تریدون
r-y-d → “seekers” Distinctive

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

الدّنیا
d-n-w → “this life” Distinctive

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm

وزخرفها
z-kh-r-f → “vanities thereof”

literal: ornament; adornment; decoration; falsehood

ینبغی
n-b-gh → “behooveth”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

لكم
l-k-m → “ye”

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

بأن
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

تطلبوها
ṭ-l-b → “theme” Distinctive

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأیّام
y-w-m → “Day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

الّتی
ʾ-l-l

literal: who; which/that; which

بطون
b-ṭ-n → “inwardly” Distinctive

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

امّهاتكم
ʾ-m-h → “your”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

لأنّ
ʾ-n → “for” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تلك
t-l-k → “those”

literal: those; that; those (feminine)

كلّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

تقرّبتم
q-r-b → “continually approaching them”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

الی
ʾ-l-y → “to”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

وتبعّدتم
b-ʿ-d → “after” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

عنها
ʿ-n-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

من
m-n

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

العاقلین
ʿ-q-l

literal: intellect; wise persons; to understand

فلمّا
l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

ولدتم
w-l-d → “were born”

literal: to give birth; to be born; child, offspring

وبلغ
b-l-gh → “attained”

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

اشدّكم
sh-d-d → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

اذاً
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

التّراب
t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

فكیف
k-y-f → “Why, then” Distinctive

literal: how; in what manner

تحرصون
ḥ-r-ṣ → “insatiable” Distinctive

literal: greedy; eager; insatiable; covetous

جمع
j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

علی
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

انفسكم
n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الّذی
l-dh-y

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

فات
f-w-t → “escaped”

literal: to neglect; to fail; to abandon; to waste

الوقت
w-q-t → “time” Distinctive

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

عنكم
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ومضت
m-ḍ-y → “passed”

literal: to pass, go by; have passed; past; bygone

الفرصة
f-r-ṣ

literal: limb; limbs; opportunity

فتنبّهوا
n-b-h → “awakening” Distinctive

literal: awaken; awakening; attentive

یا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

ملأ
m-l-ʾ → “Concourse”

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

الغافلین
gh-f-l → “heedless”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

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