Gleanings — §466

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 466 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

وخبير، أن يا سفير فاجعل محضرك بين يدي الله إنّك إن لن تراه إنّه يراك ثمّ أنصف في أمرنا بأيّ جرم قمت علينا وافتريتنا بين النّاس إن تكون من المنصفين، قد خرجت من الطّهران بأمر الملك وتوجّهنا إلى العراق بإذنه إلى أن وردنا فيه وكنّا من الواردين، إن كنت مقصّرا لم أطلقنا وإن لم أكن مقصّرا لم أوردتم علينا ما لا أورد أحد إلى أحد من المسلمين، وبعد ورودي في العراق هل ظهر منّي ما يفسد به أمر الدّولة وهل شهد أحد منّا مغايرا فاسئل أهلها لتكون من المستبصرين،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Imagine thyself to be under the eye of God, O Minister! If thou seest Him not, He, in truth, clearly seeth thee. Observe, and judge fairly Our Cause. What is it that We have committed that could have induced thee to rise up against Us, and to slander Us to the people, if thou be of them who are just? We departed out of Ṭihrán, at the bidding of the King, and, by his leave, transferred Our residence to ‘Iráq. If I had transgressed against him, why, then, did he release Me? And if I were innocent of guilt, wherefore did ye afflict Us with such tribulation as none among them that profess your faith hath suffered? Hath any of Mine acts, after Mine arrival in ‘Iráq, been such as to subvert the authority of the government? Who is it that can be said to have detected any thing reprehensible in Our behavior? Enquire for thyself of its people, that thou mayest be of them who have discerned the truth.

Translation Notes

وخبير،

kh-b-r

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

إن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

سفير

s-f-r → “Minister”

literal: embassy, envoy, intercession

فاجعل

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

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

محضرك

ḥ-ḍ-r → “to be under the eye”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

بين

b-y-n → “to” Distinctive

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

يدي

y-d-y → “of” Distinctive

literal: hand; power; action; possession

الله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لن

l-n → “not” Distinctive

literal: will not (negation of future)

تراه

r-ʾ-y → “thou seest Him”

literal: way; path; road

إنّه

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

ثمّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أنصف

n-ṣ-f → “judge fairly”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

في

f-y → “in”

literal: alas; woe; oh

أمرنا

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

بأيّ

ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

جرم

j-r-m → “crime”

literal: crime; sin; boldness

قمت

q-w-m → “rise up”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

علينا

ʿ-l-y → “against Us”

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

وافتريتنا

f-r-y → “calumnies” Distinctive

literal: slander; calumny; fabrications; false accusations

النّاس

n-ʾ-s → “the people”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

تكون

k-w-n → “of them who are” Distinctive

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

من

m-n → “of”

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

قد

q-d

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

خرجت

kh-r-j → “departed out” Distinctive

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

الطّهران

ṭ-h-r → “pure”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

الملك

m-l-k → “of the King”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وتوجّهنا

w-j-h → “face” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إلى

ʾ-l-y → “to”

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

العراق

ʿ-r-q → “vein”

literal: Iraq; sweat

بإذنه

ʾ-dh-n → “by his leave”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

مقصّرا

q-ṣ-r → “powerlessness” Distinctive

literal: palace; deficient; fault

لم

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

أطلقنا

ṭ-l-q → “applied” Distinctive

literal: application; absolute; cheerful

وإن

ʾ-n-n → “And if”

literal: I, verily; behold I

أوردتم

w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

أورد

ʾ-w-r → “saying”

literal: to bring; bring; brought

أحد

ʾ-ḥ-d

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

المسلمين،

s-l-m → “resignation” Distinctive

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

وبعد

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

هل

h-l → “people” Distinctive

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

ظهر

ẓ-h-r → “been such as” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

يفسد

f-s-d → “mischief” Distinctive

literal: corruption; corrupt; corrupter

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

أمر

ʾ-m-r → “authority” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

الدّولة

d-w-l → “of the government”

literal: state; government; dynasty; period of rule; dominion

شهد

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

مغايرا

gh-y-r → “any thing reprehensible”

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

فاسئل

s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

أهلها

ʾ-h-l → “of its people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

المستبصرين،

b-ṣ-r → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: sight; insight; eyes

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶