Gleanings — §48

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 48 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

كُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُحْتَجِبِينَ، يَا مَالِكَ الأَسْمَاءِ وَفَاطِرَ السَّمَآءِ لَسْتُ مُحْتَجِبًا مِنْ شُؤُونَاتِ يَوْمِكَ الَّذِي أَصْبَحَ مِصْبَاحَ الْهُدَى بَيْنَ الْوَرَى وَآيَةَ الْقِدَمِ لِمَنْ فِي الْعَالَمِ، لَوْ كُنْتُ صَامِتًا هَذَا مِنْ حُجُبَاتِ خَلْقِكَ وَبَرِيَّتِكَ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ سَاكِنًا إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُبُحَاتِ أَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِكَ، تَعْلَمُ مَا عِنْدِي وَلا أَعْلَمُ مَا عِنْدَكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ بِاسْمِكَ الْمُهَيْمِنِ عَلَى الأَسْمَاءِ، لَوْ جَآءَنِي أَمْر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No veil whatever have I allowed, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, to shut me from the recognition of the glories of Thy Day — the Day which is the lamp of guidance unto the whole world, and the sign of the Ancient of Days unto all them that dwell therein. My silence is by reason of the veils that have blinded Thy creatures’ eyes to Thee, and my muteness is because of the impediments that have hindered Thy people from recognizing Thy truth. Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By Thy name that excelleth all other names! If Thy overruling and all-compelling behest should ever reach me, it would empower me to revive the souls of all men, through Thy most exalted Word, which I have heard uttered by Thy Tongue of power in Thy Kingdom of glory. It would enable me to announce the revelation of Thy effulgent countenance wherethrough that which lay hidden from the eyes of men hath been manifested in Thy name, the Perspicuous, the sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Translation Notes

كُنْتُ

k-w-n → “be” Distinctive

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

مِنْ

m-n → “from recognizing Thy truth”

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

الْمُحْتَجِبِينَ،

ḥ-j-b → “No veil”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

يَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَالِكَ

m-l-k → “Lord”

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

الأَسْمَاءِ

s-m-w → “names”

literal: heaven; sky

وَفَاطِرَ

f-ṭ-r → “Creator”

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

لَسْتُ

l-y-s → “is not” Distinctive

literal: is not; not; not-be

شُؤُونَاتِ

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise” Distinctive

literal: manner; affair; state

يَوْمِكَ

y-w-m → “Thy Day”

literal: day; age; period; era

الَّذِي

l-dh-y → “which”

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

أَصْبَحَ

ṣ-b-ḥ → “is”

literal: morning, dawn; daybreak

الْهُدَى

h-d-y → “guidance”

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

بَيْنَ

b-y-n

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

الْوَرَى

w-r-y → “the whole world” Distinctive

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

وَآيَةَ

ʾ-y-y → “and the sign” Distinctive

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

الْقِدَمِ

q-d-m → “the Ancient of Days”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الْعَالَمِ،

ʿ-l-m → “that dwell therein” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

صَامِتًا

ṣ-m-t → “silent”

literal: silence; to be silent

هَذَا

h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; that

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures’ eyes”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَبَرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

سَاكِنًا

s-k-n → “inmates” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

إِنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

سُبُحَاتِ

s-b-ḥ → “Glorified” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted

أَهْلِ

ʾ-h-l → “Thy people”

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

مَا

m-ʾ → “that”

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

عِنْدِي

ʿ-n-d → “is in me”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

الْخَبِيرُ

kh-b-r → “the All-Informed”

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

الْمُهَيْمِنِ

h-m-n → “sovereign Protector” Distinctive

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “that excelleth all other” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

جَآءَنِي

j-y-ʾ → “come” Distinctive

literal: come; came; to come

أَمْر

ʾ-m-r → “behest” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶