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Gleanings — §298

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 298 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

تالله لو أرید أن أذکر لک ما ورد عَلَيَّ لن تحمله النّفوس ولا العقول وکان الله علی ذلک شهید وإنّک أنت فاحفظ نفسک ولا تعقّب هؤلآء وکن في أمر ربّک لمن المتفکّرین أن اعرف ربّک بنفسه لا بدونه لأنّ دونه لن یکفیک بشيء ویشهد بذلک کلّ الأشیآء إن أنت من السّامعین أن اخرج عن خلف الحجاب بإذن ربّک العزیز الوهّاب ثمّ خذ کأس البقآء باسم ربّک العليّ الأعلی بین الأر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My servant that believest in God! By the righteousness of the Almighty! Were I to recount to thee the tale of the things that have befallen Me, the souls and minds of men would be incapable of sustaining its weight. God Himself beareth Me witness. Watch over thyself, and follow not the footsteps of these people. Meditate diligently upon the Cause of thy Lord. Strive to know Him through His own Self and not through others. For no one else besides Him can ever profit thee. To this all created things will testify, couldst thou but perceive it.

Translation Notes

تالله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لو
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

أرید
r-y-d → “I to”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

أن
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أذکر
dh-k-r → “recount” Distinctive

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

لک
l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

ما
m-ʾ

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

ورد
w-r-d → “have befallen”

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

عَلَيَّ
ʿ-l-w → “Me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

لن
l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

تحمله
ḥ-m-l → “sustaining” Distinctive

literal: to bear; to endure; to carry; to tolerate

النّفوس
n-f-s → “the souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

ولا
w-l-y → “and”

literal: no; not; negation particle

العقول
ʿ-q-l → “minds”

literal: intellect; wise persons; to understand

وکان
k-w-n → “be”

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

ذلک
dh-l-k → “Thus” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

شهید
sh-h-d → “beareth Me witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

وإنّک
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed/verily; indeed

أنت
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

فاحفظ
ḥ-f-ẓ → “Watch over” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

تعقّب
ʿ-q-b → “retribution” Distinctive

literal: outcome; end; result; consequence

هؤلآء
h-ʾ-l

literal: these

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أمر
ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ربّک
r-b-b → “of thy Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

المتفکّرین
f-k-r → “Ponder”

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

اعرف
ʿ-r-f → “know”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

لا
l-ʾ → “and not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

بدونه
d-w-n → “through others”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

لأنّ
ʾ-n → “For” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

یکفیک
k-f-y → “suffice”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

بشيء
sh-y-ʾ → “thee” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

کلّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

من
m-n → “but” Distinctive

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

السّامعین
s-m-ʿ → “heard” Distinctive

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

اخرج
kh-r-j

literal: go out; exit; outside

عن
ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

خلف
kh-l-f

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

الحجاب
ḥ-j-b

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

بإذن
ʾ-dh-n

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

العزیز
ʿ-z-z → “Almighty”

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

الوهّاب
w-h-b

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

ثمّ
th-m-m

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

خذ
ʾ-kh-dh

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

کأس
k-ʾ-s

literal: cup; chalice; goblet

البقآء
b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

باسم
s-m-w

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

بین
b-y-n

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

الأر
ʾ-r-ḍ

literal: earth; land; earth, land

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