Gleanings — §303

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 303 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مثلاً ملاحظه کن در حین ظهور مظهر کلّیّه قبل از آنکه آن ذات قدم خود را بشناساند و بکلمهٴ امریّه تنطّق فرماید عالم بوده و معلومی با او نبوده و هم‌چنین خالق بوده و مخلوقی با او نه چه که در آن حین قبض روح از کلّ ما یصدق علیه اسم شیء میشود و اینست آن یومی که میفرماید لمن الملک الیوم و نیست احدی مجیب...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Consider the hour at which the supreme Manifestation of God revealeth Himself unto men. Ere that hour cometh, the Ancient Being, Who is still unknown of men and hath not as yet given utterance to the Word of God, is Himself the All-Knower in a world devoid of any man that hath known Him. He is indeed the Creator without a creation. For at the very moment preceding His Revelation, each and every created thing shall be made to yield up its soul to God. This is indeed the Day of which it hath been written: “Whose shall be the Kingdom this Day?” And none can be found ready to answer!

Translation Notes

مثلاً

m-th-l → “Consider”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

ملاحظه

l-ḥ-ẓ → “Consider”

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

کن

k-w-n → “been”

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

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

حین

ḥ-y-n → “hour”

literal: time; moment; while; season

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

قبل

q-b-l → “Ere that hour”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

از

literal: from

آنکه

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ذات

dh-w-t → “Ancient Being” Distinctive

literal: self; essence; being

قدم

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

خود

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بشناساند

sh-n-s → “recognize” Distinctive

literal: to recognize, know, distinguish

بکلمهٴ

k-l-m → “Word”

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

امریّه

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

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

تنطّق

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

فرماید

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

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

با

literal: to; with; by

او

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

نبوده

b-w-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

هم‌چنین

ch-n-n → “likewise”

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

خالق

kh-l-q → “Creator”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

نه

literal: end; ended; utmost

چه

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

قبض

q-b-ḍ → “grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

روح

r-w-ḥ → “its soul” Distinctive

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

کلّ

k-l-l → “each and every”

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

ما

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

یصدق

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

علیه

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اسم

literal: name; title; designation

شیء

sh-y-ʾ → “created thing” Distinctive

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

میشود

sh-w-d → “shall be made” Distinctive

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

اینست

h-s-t → “is”

literal: is; be; are

یومی

y-w-m → “Day”

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

لمن

m-n → ““Whose” Distinctive

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

الملک

m-l-k → “the Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

احدی

ʾ-ḥ-d → “none”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

مجیب...

j-w-b → “to answer”

literal: responder; one who answers; answerer

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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