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Gleanings — §462

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 462 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

والعشيّ يريدون وجهه وأنت خالفت حكم الكتاب بعد الّذي حسبت نفسك من المؤمنين، ومع ذلك فوالله لم يكن في قلبي بغضك ولا بغض أحد من النّاس ولو وردتم علينا ما لا يطيقه أحد من الموحّدين، وما أمري إلّا بالله وتوكّلي إلّا عليه فسوف يمضي أيّامكم وأيّام الّذين هم كانوا اليوم على غرور مبين، وتجتمعون ف

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Despite what thou hast done I entertain — and to this God is My witness — no ill-will against thee, nor against anyone, though from thee and others We receive such hurt as no believer in the unity of God can sustain. My cause is in the hand of none except God, and My trust is in no one else but Him. Erelong shall your days pass away, as shall pass away the days of those who now, with flagrant pride, vaunt themselves over their neighbor. Soon shall ye be gathered together in the presence of God, and shall be asked of your doings, and shall be repaid for what your hands have wrought, and wretched the abode of the wicked doers!

Translation Notes

والعشيّ
ʿ-sh-y

literal: evening; daytime; afternoon

يريدون
r-y-d

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

وجهه
w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

وأنت
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

خالفت
kh-l-f → “contrary” Distinctive

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

حكم
ḥ-k-m

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

الكتاب
k-t-b

literal: book; scripture; writing

بعد
b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

حسبت
ḥ-s-b

literal: according to; in accordance with; as regards

نفسك
n-f-s

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

من
m-n → “from thee and”

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

المؤمنين،
ʾ-m-n

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure

ومع
m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ذلك
dh-l-k → “Thus” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

فوالله
w-l-h → “Rapture” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

لم
l-y-s → “no”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يكن
k-w-n

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

في
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

قلبي
q-l-b

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

بغضك
b-gh-ḍ → “hate” Distinctive

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

أحد
ʾ-ḥ-d → “anyone”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

النّاس
n-ʾ-s → “others”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

ولو
l-w → “If”

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

وردتم
w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

علينا
ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

ما
m-ʾ

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

لا
l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يطيقه
ṭ-w-q → “who can abide”

literal: endure; capacity; power/capacity

الموحّدين،
w-ḥ-d → “the unity of God”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

أمري
ʾ-m-r → “My cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

إلّا
ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

بالله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: supplication; earnest entreaty; imploring

وتوكّلي
w-k-l → “My trust”

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority; to rely; to trust; to place trust in

فسوف
s-w-f → “Ere long will”

literal: shall; will (future marker)

يمضي
m-ḍ-y → “pass away”

literal: pass; execution; past

أيّامكم
y-w-m → “your days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

وأيّام
ʾ-y-m → “days”

literal: days; day/days

الّذين
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

هم
h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

على
ʿ-l-w → “with” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

غرور
gh-r-r → “flagrant pride”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

مبين،
b-y-n

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

وتجتمعون
j-m-ʿ → “ye be gathered together”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶