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Gleanings — §426

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 426 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

يا معشر الملوك أنتم المماليك قد ظهر المالك بأحسن الطّراز ويدعوكم إلى نفسه المهيمن القيّوم إيّاكم أن يمنعكم الغرور عن مشرق الظّهور أو تحجبكم الدّنيا عن فاطر السّمآء قوموا على خدمة المقصود الّذي خلقكم بكلمة من عنده وجعلكم مظاهر القدرة لما كان وما يكون

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation, lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

معشر
ʿ-sh-r

literal: association; companionship; social interaction; عشرين (twenty) is from numeral root ع-ش-ر, distinct from ‘association’ meaning

الملوك
m-l-k → “kings”

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

أنتم
n-t-m → “you”

literal: you

قد
q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

ظهر
ẓ-h-r → “appeared”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بأحسن
ḥ-s-n → “most wondrous” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

الطّراز
ṭ-r-z → “with the ornament”

literal: all; all together; -ward; fresh; tender; new

ويدعوكم
d-ʿ-w → “is summoning”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

إلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

نفسه
n-f-s → “Himself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

المهيمن
h-m-n → “the Help in Peril”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian; inspiration; revelation; intuition

القيّوم
q-w-m → “the Self-Subsisting”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

إيّاكم
w-q-y → “Fear” Distinctive

literal: beware; take heed; woe to you

أن
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يمنعكم
m-n-ʿ → “deter”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

الغرور
gh-r-r → “pride”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

مشرق
sh-r-q → “recognizing the Source of” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

أو
h-w-w → “is”

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

تحجبكم
ḥ-j-b → “veil”

literal: veil; veiled; veils

الدّنيا
d-n-w → “the things of this world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

فاطر
f-ṭ-r → “Creator”

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

السّمآء
s-m-w → “of heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

على
ʿ-l-w → “and” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

خدمة
kh-d-m → “serve”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

المقصود
q-ṣ-d → “the Desire of all nations”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

الّذي
l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

خلقكم
kh-l-q → “hath created you”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

بكلمة
k-l-m → “through a word”

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

من
m-n → “from”

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

عنده
ʿ-n-d → “Him” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

وجعلكم
j-ʿ-l → “and ordained you to be”

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

القدرة
q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لما
l-m-ʾ

literal: when; certainly-not; when, since

كان
k-w-n

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

وما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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