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Gleanings — §428

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 428 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

طوبى لملك قام على نصرة أمري في مملكتي وانقطع عن سوآئي إنّه من أصحاب السّفينة الحمرآء الّتي جعلها الله لأهل البهآء ينبغي لكلّ أن يعزّروه ويوقّروه وينصروه ليفتح المدن بمفاتيح اسمي المهيمن على من في ممالك الغيب والشّهود إنّه بمنزلة البصر للبشر والغرّة الغرّآء لجبين الإنشآء ورأس الكرم لجسد العالم انصروه يا أهل البهآء بالأموال والنّفوس

Shoghi Effendi Translation

How great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My Kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! Such a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark — the Ark which God hath prepared for the people of Bahá. All must glorify his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous ornament on the brow of creation, the fountain-head of blessings unto the whole world. Offer up, O people of Bahá, your substance, nay your very lives, for his assistance.

Translation Notes

طوبى
ṭ-w-b → “How great the blessedness”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لملك
m-l-k → “king”

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

قام
q-w-m → “will arise”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

على
ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أمري
ʾ-m-r → “My Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

وانقطع
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detach himself”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

سوآئي
s-w-y → “all else but Me”

literal: worst; evil; bad; other than; besides; save; except

إنّه
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

من
m-n → “with” Distinctive

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

أصحاب
ṣ-ḥ-b → “companions”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

السّفينة
s-f-n → “Crimson Ark”

literal: ship; ship/ark; ship, ark

الحمرآء
ḥ-m-r

literal: to be red; to redden

الّتي
ʾ-l-l → “the Ark which”

literal: who; which/that; which

جعلها
j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

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

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لأهل
ʾ-h-l → “for the people”

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

البهآء
b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

ينبغي
n-b-gh → “behooveth”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

لكلّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for each; for every; to each

أن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يعزّروه
ʿ-z-r → “glorify”

literal: glorify

ويوقّروه
w-q-r → “his poise and dignity” Distinctive

literal: dignity/gravity; reverence; honor, revere

وينصروه
n-ṣ-r → “aid”

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

ليفتح
f-t-ḥ → “open”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

المدن
m-d-n → “the cities”

literal: city; town

اسمي
s-m-w → “My Name”

literal: heaven; sky

المهيمن
h-m-n → “omnipotent Protector”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

الغيب
gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

والشّهود
sh-h-d → “visible”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بمنزلة
n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

البصر
b-ṣ-r

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

للبشر
b-sh-r → “mankind”

literal: human; mankind; human nature

والغرّة
gh-r-r → “pride” Distinctive

literal: vanity; delusion; pride

لجبين
j-b-n → “firmament of thy generation”

literal: forehead, brow

الإنشآء
n-sh-ʾ → “creation”

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

ورأس
r-ʾ-s → “fountain-head”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

الكرم
k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

لجسد
j-s-d → “bodies” Distinctive

literal: body; corpse; physical form

العالم
ʿ-l-m

literal: world; universe; the worlds

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

أهل
ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

بالأموال
m-w-l → “substance”

literal: hope; wish; desire; aspiration

والنّفوس
n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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