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Gleanings — §318

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 318 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

سرّ من اسرار الله او است آیة کبری و مخبری که خبر میدهد از عوالم الهی در او مستور است آنچه که عالم حال استعداد ذکر آن را نداشته و ندارد ان انظر الی نفس الله القائمة علی السّنن و النّفس الأمّارة الّتی قامت علی الاعراض و تنهی النّاس عن مالک الأسمآء و تأمرهم بالبغی و الفحشآء الا انّها فی خسران مبین…

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Verily I say, the human soul is, in its essence, one of the signs of God, a mystery among His mysteries. It is one of the mighty signs of the Almighty, the harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of all the worlds of God. Within it lieth concealed that which the world is now utterly incapable of apprehending. Ponder in thine heart the revelation of the Soul of God that pervadeth all His Laws, and contrast it with that base and appetitive nature that hath rebelled against Him, that forbiddeth men to turn unto the Lord of Names, and impelleth them to walk after their lusts and wickedness. Such a soul hath, in truth, wandered far in the path of error.…

Translation Notes

سرّ
s-r-r → “mystery”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

من
m-n

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

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

او
h-w-w → “is”

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

است
b-w-d

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

آیة
ʾ-y-y → “mighty signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

کبری
k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

مخبری
kh-b-r → “All-Informed” Distinctive

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

میدهد
d-h → “imputed” Distinctive

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

عوالم
ʿ-l-m → “worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

مستور
s-t-r → “concealed”

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

آنچه
ʾ-n → “that which”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حال
ḥ-w-l → “now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

استعداد
ʿ-d-d → “capacity”

literal: numerous; many; multiple

ذکر
dh-k-r

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

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

نداشته
d-ʾ-sh-t → “hath”

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

ندارد
d-ʾ-r

literal: below; lower than; beneath

انظر
n-ẓ-r → “Ponder” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

الی
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

نفس
n-f-s → “Soul of God”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

القائمة
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; resurrection; uprising; establishment

علی
ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

السّنن
s-n-n → “years” Distinctive

literal: arrow; pointed weapon; spear-point; edge

الأمّارة
ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

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

الّتی
ʾ-l-l

literal: who; which/that; which

الاعراض
ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away”

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

تنهی
n-h-y → “forbiddeth”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

النّاس
n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

عن
ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

مالک
m-l-k → “Lord”

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

الأسمآء
s-m-w → “Names”

literal: heaven; sky

بالبغی
b-gh-y → “becometh” Distinctive

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

الفحشآء
f-ḥ-sh → “wickedness”

literal: indecency; wickedness; iniquity; obscenity

الا
ʾ-kh-r

literal: end; hereafter; other

انّها
null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

فی
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

خسران
kh-s-r → “loss”

literal: loss; ruin; to suffer loss

مبین…
b-y-n → “among” Distinctive

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶