Gleanings — §25

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 25 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

يا حسين بعضی از احزاب ارض منتظر ظهور حسينی بودند چه که از قبل اصفيای حق جلّ جلاله عباد را بشارت داده‌اند بظهور آن حضرت بعد از قائم و همچنين اخبار فرمودند که در حين ظهور آن مطلع فيوضات الهی جميع انبياء و مرسلين حتّی قائم در ظلّ علم مبارک آن حضرت جمع ميشوند چون وقت رسيد و عالم بانوار وجه منوّر گشت کلّ اعراض نمودند مگر نفوسی که اصنام ظنون و هوی را بقوّت مالک اسمآء شکستند و قصد مدينه ايقان نمودند امروز رحيق مختوم باسم قيّوم ظاهر و جاری خذ کأسًا منه ثمّ اشرب بهذا الإسم المُبارک المحمود ...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Ḥusayn! Consider the eagerness with which certain peoples and nations have anticipated the return of Imám Ḥusayn, whose coming, after the appearance of the Qá’im, hath been prophesied, in days past, by the chosen ones of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover, announced that when He Who is the Dayspring of the manifold grace of God manifesteth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the Qá’im, will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred Standard which the Promised One will raise. That hour is now come. The world is illumined with the effulgent glory of His countenance. And yet, behold how far its peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed in Him except them who, through the power of the Lord of Names, have shattered the idols of their vain imaginings and corrupt desires and entered the city of certitude. The seal of the choice Wine of His Revelation hath, in this Day and in His Name, the Self-Sufficing, been broken. Its grace is being poured out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink in, in His Name, the Most Holy, the All-Praised.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

حسين

ḥ-s-n → “most excellent”

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

بعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ

literal: part; some; portion

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

احزاب

ḥ-z-b → “certain peoples and nations” Distinctive

literal: party; people; community

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

منتظر

n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

ظهور

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بودند

b-w-d

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

چه

ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

قبل

q-b-l → “in days past” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

اصفيای

ṣ-f-w → “chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

حق

ḥ-q-q → “of God”

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

جلّ

j-l-l → “exalted be”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بشارت

b-sh-r → “hath been prophesied”

literal: human; mankind; human nature

داده‌اند

d-ʾ-d

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Him”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

قائم

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

همچنين

ch-n-n → “likewise”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

اخبار

kh-b-r → “announced”

literal: news; inform; informed

فرمودند

f-r-m

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

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

حين

ḥ-y-n → “that when” Distinctive

literal: time; moment; while; season

مطلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

فيوضات

f-y-ḍ → “manifold grace” Distinctive

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; messenger

مرسلين

r-s-l → “and Messengers”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

حتّی

ḥ-t-y → “even”

literal: to be necessary, inevitable; determined

ظلّ

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

علم

ʿ-l-m → “sacred Standard” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

مبارک

b-r-k → “sacred Standard”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

ميشوند

sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

چون

ch-w-n

literal: since; when; as

وقت

w-q-t → “That hour”

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

رسيد

r-s-d → “reached”

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

بانوار

n-w-r → “with the” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination

وجه

w-j-h → “of His countenance” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

گشت

g-sh-t → “have been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to turn; to be

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

اعراض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “have strayed” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

نمودند

n-m-ود → “hath” Distinctive

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

مگر

m-g-r → “save through”

literal: matter; affair; thing

نفوسی

n-f-s → “them who”

literal: self; soul; psyche

اصنام

ṣ-n-m → “idols”

literal: idol; statue

ظنون

ẓ-n-n → “vain imaginings”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

هوی

h-w-y → “corrupt desires”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

بقوّت

q-w-y → “through the power”

literal: strength; power; might

مالک

m-l-k → “Lord”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

اسمآء

s-m-w → “of Names”

literal: name

شکستند

sh-k-s-t → “have shattered”

literal: shattered

قصد

q-ṣ-d → “purpose” Distinctive

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

مدينه

m-d-n → “city”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

ايقان

y-q-n → “of certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

امروز

r-w-z → “in this Day”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

رحيق

r-ḥ-q → “choice Wine”

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

مختوم

kh-t-m → “seal of”

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

جاری

j-r-y → “poured out” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

خذ

ʾ-kh-dh → “laid hold” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

کأسًا

k-ʾ-s → “chalice”

literal: cup; chalice; goblet

منه

m-n

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

ثمّ

th-m-m

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اشرب

sh-r-b → “and drink in”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

بهذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

المُبارک

b-r-k → “the Most Holy”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

المحمود

ḥ-m-d → “the All-Praised”

literal: praise; to praise

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

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The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

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Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶