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Gleanings — §469

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 469 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ولم يكن هذا الذّكر منّي إليك لتكشف عنّي ضرّي أو توسّط لي عند أحد لا فوربّ العالمين، ولكن فصّلنا لك الأمور لعلّ تتنبّه في فعلك ولا ترد على أحد مثل ما ورّدت علينا وتكون من التّائبين إلى الله الّذي خلقك وكلّ شيء وتكون على بصيرة من بعد وهذا خير لك عمّا عندك وعن سفارتك في هذه الأيّام القليل،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

It is not Our purpose in addressing to thee these words to lighten the burden of Our woe, or to induce thee to intercede for Us with anyone. No, by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! We have set forth the whole matter before thee, that perchance thou might realize what thou hast done, might desist from inflicting on others the hurt thou hast inflicted on Us, and might be of them that have truly repented to God, Who created thee and created all things, and might act with discernment in the future. Better is this for thee than all thou dost possess, than thy ministry whose days are numbered.

Translation Notes

ولم
l-m → “It is not”

literal: did not; has not (negative particle with past tense)

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الذّكر
dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

منّي
m-n → “from” Distinctive

literal: from me; mine; by me; sustenance; benefaction; refuge

إليك
ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

لتكشف
k-sh-f → “dispel” Distinctive

literal: unveiling; uncover; unveiled

عنّي
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

ضرّي
ḍ-r-r → “woe” Distinctive

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

أو
h-w-w → “or” Distinctive

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

توسّط
w-s-ṭ → “meridian” Distinctive

literal: middle; middle, midst; by means of

لي
ʿ-l-y → “for Us” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

عند
ʿ-n-d → “with” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

أحد
ʾ-ḥ-d → “anyone”

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

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

فوربّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العالمين،
ʿ-l-m → “all worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ولكن
l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

فصّلنا
f-ṣ-l → “have set forth”

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

لك
l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

الأمور
ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

لعلّ
l-ʿ-l → “haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

تتنبّه
n-b-h → “awakening” Distinctive

literal: awaken; awakening; attentive

في
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

فعلك
f-ʿ-l → “hast done” Distinctive

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

ترد
r-d-d → “reject” Distinctive

literal: rejected; repudiated

على
ʿ-l-w → “on others” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مثل
m-th-l → “the” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

ورّدت
w-r-d → “hast inflicted” Distinctive

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

وتكون
k-w-n → “be”

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

التّائبين
t-w-b → “that have truly repented”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

الّذي
l-dh-y → “which”

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

خلقك
kh-l-q → “created thee” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وكلّ
k-l-l → “and created” Distinctive

literal: all; every; all, every

شيء
sh-y-ʾ → “all things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

بصيرة
b-ṣ-r → “discernment”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

بعد
b-ʿ-d → “future” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

خير
kh-y-r → “Better”

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

سفارتك
s-f-r → “Embassy” Distinctive

literal: embassy, envoy, intercession

الأيّام
y-w-m → “days”

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

القليل،
q-l-l → “less” Distinctive

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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