Gleanings — §375

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 375 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

را تلقاء قدم چه ذکری بوده استغفر الله العظیم از این چنین عقاید و اذکار بگو ای قوم موهوم را با قیّوم چه مناسبت و خلق را با حقّ چه مشابهت که باثر قلم او خلق شده‌اند و این اثر هم از کلّ مقدّس و منزّه و مبرّا و از این مقام گذشته در مقام آیات ملاحظه کن که شمس یکی از آیات الهی است آیا میشود او را با ظلمت در یک مقام ملاحظه نمود لا فونفسه الحقّ لا یتکلّم احد بذلک الّا من ضاق قلبه و

Shoghi Effendi Translation

By the righteousness of My name, the All-Merciful! The Pen of the Most High trembleth with a great trembling and is sore shaken at the revelation of these words. How puny and insignificant is the evanescent drop when compared with the waves and billows of God’s limitless and everlasting Ocean, and how utterly contemptible must every contingent and perishable thing appear when brought face to face with the uncreated, the unspeakable glory of the Eternal! We implore pardon of God, the All-Powerful, for them that entertain such beliefs, and give utterance to such words. Say: O people! How can a fleeting fancy compare with the Self-Subsisting, and how can the Creator be likened unto His creatures, who are but as the script of His Pen? Nay, His script excelleth all things, and is sanctified from, and immeasurably exalted above, all creatures.

Translation Notes

تلقاء

tlqáʾ l-q-y → “brought face to face”

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

SE expanded to “brought face to face”

before 63% brought 11% when 11% set 5% face 5% faced 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §172: the Presence fire-tabletFire §1: of Thy Countenance gleaningsGWB §582: sent down unto thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §181: “attainment unto the divine prayers-and-meditationsP&M §850: deliver unto them tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §20: the Kingdom of His Presence the-hidden-wordsHW §37: to meet Me will-and-testamentW&T §41: kindling

قدم

qdm q-d-m → “eternal” Distinctive

literal: ancient; step; eternity

This form usually rendered as “ancient”, “eternity”, “step” (104 occurrences)

ancient 47% eternity 13% step 9% feet 7% everlasting 7% eternal 5% ever-abiding 4% steps 4% who 2% stepped 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §127: supersede fire-tabletFire §1: the Most Ancient gleaningsGWB §40: everlasting kitab-i-iqanKIQ §74: of ancient glory prayers-and-meditationsP&M §670: the footsteps tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: by His presence the-hidden-wordsHW §132: advance will-and-testamentW&T §8: submitted

چه

chh ch-h

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

SE rendered تلقاء (tlqáʾ), قدم (qdm), چه (chh), ذکری (dhkrí), استغفر (istghfr), الله (al-lh), العظیم (al-ʿẓím) as “brought face to face, the Eternal, give utterance, We implore pardon, of God, the All-Powerful”

what 50% whatsoever 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §178: For gleaningsGWB §436: Whatsoever epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §230: what

ذکری

dhkrí dh-k-r → “give utterance” Distinctive

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

This form usually rendered as “remembrance”, “mention”, “praise” (16 occurrences)

remembrance 17% mention 17% praise 17% warning 8% account 8% give 8% remember 8% remembered 8% mentioned 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: concerning gleaningsGWB §381: explained kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckoned kitab-i-iqanKIQ §282: His Name prayers-and-meditationsP&M §855: every mention tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His call tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: proclaimeth the-hidden-wordsHW §44: Make mention of Me

استغفر

istghfr gh-f-r → “we implore pardon”

literal: forgiving; forgiveness; forgive

SE expanded to “We implore pardon”

\‘i 50% implore 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §192: pardon fire-tabletFire §35: Forgiver gleaningsGWB §569: ask forgiveness kitab-i-iqanKIQ §153: We ask forgiveness of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §827: the ocean will-and-testamentW&T §13: concourse epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §206: forgiveness gleaningsGWB §257: wash away

العظیم

al-ʿẓím ʿ-ẓ-m → “most”

literal: greatest; great; greatness

great 44% most 24% grievous 8% mighty 8% immense 7% sublime 2% announcement 2% abounding 2% how 2% all-powerful 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §230: the weightiest gleaningsGWB §66: “The glory of all greatness kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: mightier prayers-and-meditationsP&M §617: have laid mighty hold the-hidden-wordsHW §21: plenteous will-and-testamentW&T §25: distinguished epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: all-surpassing gleaningsGWB §95: majesty.…

از

iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered ذکری (dhkrí), استغفر (istghfr), الله (al-lh), العظیم (al-ʿẓím), از (iz), چنین (chnín), عقاید (ʿqáyd), اذکار (idhkár), بگو (bgú) as “give utterance, We implore pardon, of God, the All-Powerful, beliefs, to such words, Say”

23 occurrences in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: of kitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: Amongst kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: at kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: from

چنین

chnín ch-n-n

literal: likewise; as; just as

SE rendered استغفر (istghfr), الله (al-lh), العظیم (al-ʿẓím), از (iz), چنین (chnín), عقاید (ʿqáyd), اذکار (idhkár), بگو (bgú), قوم (qúm), موهوم (múhúm) as “We implore pardon, of God, the All-Powerful, beliefs, to such words, Say, people, fleeting fancy”

also 50% such 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §142: at another gleaningsGWB §340: while kitab-i-iqanKIQ §242: when epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §101: Likewise kitab-i-iqanKIQ §15: Thus epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §26: also kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: This truth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: Thou

عقاید

ʿqáyd ʿ-q-d → “beliefs”

literal: belief; beliefs; believing

beliefs 50% every 25% belief 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §178: belief gleaningsGWB §461: beliefs kitab-i-iqanKIQ §26: to will-and-testamentW&T §7: covenanted gleaningsGWB §157: of every belief kitab-i-iqanKIQ §210: bear him allegiance will-and-testamentW&T §38: of the belief kitab-i-iqanKIQ §68: conception

بگو

bgú g-w-y → “say”

literal: say; to say

say 36% maintain 18% methinks 14% called 7% said 7% regardest 4% did 4% speaketh 4% what 4% declare 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §249: Regardest gleaningsGWB §35: maintain kitab-i-iqanKIQ §234: called the-hidden-wordsHW §83: exclaim epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §249: did not ascribe gleaningsGWB §325: to contend kitab-i-iqanKIQ §229: as though the-hidden-wordsHW §120: Speak

قوم

qúm q-w-m → “people”

literal: people

people 91% men 3% others 2% people!” 1% old 1% unto 1% blind 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §32: Spot fire-tabletFire §48: He hath risen up gleaningsGWB §320: various stages kitab-i-ahdAhd §11: to be beneath that kitab-i-iqanKIQ §181: These people prayers-and-meditationsP&M §411: that he may cling tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: most exalted Spot tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §47: own station

موهوم

múhúm w-h-m → “fleeting fancy” Distinctive

literal: fancy

This form usually rendered as “imaginations”, “nothing”, “vain” (9 occurrences)

imaginations 25% nothing 13% vain 13% fleeting 13% victims 13% prompted 13% idle 13%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §240: the vain imaginings fire-tabletFire §24: idle imaginings gleaningsGWB §374: their idle fancies kitab-i-iqanKIQ §30: conceive prayers-and-meditationsP&M §750: of their fancies tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: of delusion the-hidden-wordsHW §144: FANCY will-and-testamentW&T §34: suspicion

مناسبت

mnásbt n-s-b → “relationship” Distinctive

literal: relation

This form usually rendered as “resemblance”, “compare” (4 occurrences)

resemblance 50% compare 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §249: charges gleaningsGWB §374: comparable kitab-i-ahdAhd §15: kindred kitab-i-iqanKIQ §117: allegiance prayers-and-meditationsP&M §93: hast caused to be related the-hidden-wordsHW §30: to will-and-testamentW&T §4: attributing epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §253: the relatives

خلق

khlq kh-l-q → “creator” Distinctive

literal: creation; create; created

This form usually rendered as “creation”, “creatures”, “hath” (213 occurrences)

creation 31% creatures 16% hath 14% created 12% men 9% people 7% mankind 4% world 3% called 2% made 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §156: creatures fire-tabletFire §40: wert created gleaningsGWB §664: the world kitab-i-iqanKIQ §121: a new creation?’”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §235: of Thy creation tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: created her the-hidden-wordsHW §12: have created thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: God created thee

حقّ

ḥqq ḥ-q-q → “god”

literal: truth; true; right

truth 50% god 14% true 10% one 9% eternal 7% through 3% right 2% righteousness 2% unto 1% who 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: the trust gleaningsGWB §554: fulfilled kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: right kitab-i-iqanKIQ §269: recognized prayers-and-meditationsP&M §274: me the-hidden-wordsHW §92: mysteries will-and-testamentW&T §9: have been made epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: to Him

مشابهت

mshábht sh-b-h → “likened”

literal: likeness

doubt 26% doubts 18% like 15% such 8% comparison 8% peer 5% all 5% likewise 5% incomparable 5% likeness 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §185: such as gleaningsGWB §675: Night hath succeeded kitab-i-iqanKIQ §221: obscurities prayers-and-meditationsP&M §236: equal will-and-testamentW&T §12: doubtfulness epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: like gleaningsGWB §159: doubt kitab-i-iqanKIQ §46: unequivocal

باثر

báthr ʾ-th-r → “signs” Distinctive

literal: effect; signs

This form usually rendered as “fulfill”, “script”, “effect” (14 occurrences)

fulfill 22% script 11% effect 11% consequence 11% beneficial 11% scar 11% perfume 11% effects 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §6: Thy signs gleaningsGWB §160: and potency kitab-i-iqanKIQ §208: scar the-hidden-wordsHW §148: trace epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §244: evidences gleaningsGWB §378: consequence kitab-i-iqanKIQ §164: habits and manners epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §141: signs

قلم

qlm q-l-m → “of his pen”

literal: pen; pen, reed; the pen

SE expanded to “of His Pen”

pen 97% abhá 1% supreme 1% most 1% all-glorious 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §58: Pen of the gleaningsGWB §375: of His Pen kitab-i-iqanKIQ §155: Pen of Power prayers-and-meditationsP&M §780: Thy will-and-testamentW&T §1: by His All-Glorious Pen epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §255: from the gleaningsGWB §719: Our Pen prayers-and-meditationsP&M §145: Thy most exalted Pen

شده‌اند

shdh‌ánd sh-d

literal: become; to become

SE rendered مشابهت (mshábht), باثر (báthr), قلم (qlm), خلق (khlq), شده‌اند (shdh‌ánd), اثر (ithr), از (iz), مقدّس (mqdds) as “likened, as the script, of His Pen, who are but, sanctified”