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Gleanings — §370

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 370 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

وین عجب‌تر که من از وی دورم ...حقّ فرموده که من بانسان نزدیکترم از رگ گردن او باو لذا میگوید با وجود آنکه تجلّی حضرت محبوب از رگ گردن من بمن نزدیکتر است مع ایقان من باین مقام و اقرار من باین رتبه من از او دورم یعنی قلب که مقرّ استواء رحمانی است و عرش تجلّی ربّانی از ذکر او غافل است و بذکر غیر مشغول

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Meditate on what the poet hath written: “Wonder not, if my Best-Beloved be closer to me than mine own self; wonder at this, that I, despite such nearness, should still be so far from Him.”… Considering what God hath revealed, that “We are closer to man than his life-vein,” the poet hath, in allusion to this verse, stated that, though the revelation of my Best-Beloved hath so permeated my being that He is closer to me than my life-vein, yet, notwithstanding my certitude of its reality and my recognition of my station, I am still so far removed from Him. By this he meaneth that his heart, which is the seat of the All-Merciful and the throne wherein abideth the splendor of His revelation, is forgetful of its Creator, hath strayed from His path, hath shut out itself from His glory, and is stained with the defilement of earthly desires.

Translation Notes

عجب‌تر
ʿ-j-b → “strange” Distinctive

literal: wonder; amazement; marvelous; strange

که
k-h → “that I, despite such nearness, should still”

literal: that; who; who, that

من
m-n → “from”

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

از
ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

وی
w-y → “Beware lest”

literal: beware; in; woe

دورم
d-w-r → “be so far”

literal: دورم (dūram) ‘I am far’ is Persian adjective دور + copula, not from Arabic د-و-ر cycle root

...حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “God hath revealed”

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

فرموده
f-r-m → “He” Distinctive

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

بانسان
ʾ-n-s → “to man”

literal: human; mankind; of humanity

نزدیکترم
n-z-d-y-k → “is closer”

literal: near, close; proximity

رگ
r-g

literal: vein; vein/pulse

گردن
g-r-d-n

literal: neck

او
h-w-w → “is”

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

باو
ʾ-w-w → “him”

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

لذا
l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

میگوید
g-w-y

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

با
b-ʾ-ʾ → “have clung”

literal: to; with; by

وجود
w-j-d → “being that”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

آنکه
ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; that, to

تجلّی
j-l-w → “revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation

حضرت
ḥ-ḍ-r → “of” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

محبوب
ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

بمن
m-n-y

literal: through whom; remain; from

نزدیکتر
n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

است
b-w-d → “hath so” Distinctive

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

مع
m-ʿ → “notwithstanding my”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ایقان
y-q-n → “certitude of”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

باین
b-y-n → “utterance”

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

مقام
q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

رتبه
r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

یعنی
ʿ-n-y → “meaning” Distinctive

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

قلب
q-l-b → “his heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مقرّ
q-r-r → “seat”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

استواء
s-w-y → “God”

literal: level; equal; straight; upon a throne; resting upon; toward; to; direction of; other than; besides; except

رحمانی
r-ḥ-m → “All-Merciful”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

عرش
ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

ربّانی
r-b-b → “His revelation” Distinctive

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

ذکر
dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

غافل
gh-f-l

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

غیر
gh-y-r → “other”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

مشغول
sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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