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Gleanings — §482

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 482 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ولا يليق لشأنك اسمع نصحي ثمّ اعدل بين الخلق ليرفع الله اسمك بالعدل بين العالمين، إيّاك أن لا تعمّر هؤلاء الوكلاء ولا تخرّب الرّعيّة اتّق من ضجيج الفقراء والأبرار في الأسحار وكن لهم كسلطان شفيق، لأنّهم كنزك في الأرض فينبغي لحضرتك بأن تحفظ كنزك من أيدي هؤلاء السّارقين، ثمّ تجسّس من أمورهم وأحوالهم في كلّ حول بل في كلّ شهر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Let My counsel be acceptable to thee, and strive thou to rule with equity among men, that God may exalt thy name and spread abroad the fame of thy justice in all the world. Beware lest thou aggrandize thy ministers at the expense of thy subjects. Fear the sighs of the poor and of the upright in heart who, at every break of day, bewail their plight, and be unto them a benignant sovereign. They, verily, are thy treasures on earth. It behooveth thee, therefore, to safeguard thy treasures from the assaults of them who wish to rob thee. Inquire into their affairs, and ascertain, every year, nay every month, their condition, and be not of them that are careless of their duty.

Translation Notes

ولا
w-l-y

literal: no; not; negation particle

يليق
l-y-q

literal: worthy, befitting, appropriate, suitable

لشأنك
sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

اسمع
s-m-ʿ → “Let My counsel be acceptable” Distinctive

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

نصحي
n-ṣ-ḥ → “counsel”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

ثمّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اعدل
ʿ-d-l → “rule with equity”

literal: justice; equity

بين
b-y-n → “among”

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

الخلق
kh-l-q → “men” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

ليرفع
r-f-ʿ → “exalt”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

اسمك
s-m-w → “name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

العالمين،
ʿ-l-m → “all the world” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

إيّاك
ʾ-y-y → “Beware”

literal: beware (imperative); you; would that, I wish, if only (optative particle)

أن
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا
l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

تعمّر
ʿ-m-r → “By My life” Distinctive

literal: life; by my life; by the life

هؤلاء
h-ʾ-l → “these”

literal: these

الوكلاء
w-k-l → “ministers”

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority

تخرّب
kh-r-b → “most desolate” Distinctive

literal: ruin; desolation

الرّعيّة
r-ʿ-y → “subjects”

literal: to guard, watch over, regard, heed, respect, maintain; care; protection; guardianship; watchfulness

اتّق
w-q-y → “Fear”

literal: fear; piety; to fear

من
m-n → “of”

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

ضجيج
ḍ-j-j → “sighs”

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

الفقراء
f-q-r → “poor”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

والأبرار
b-r-r → “righteous”

literal: outside; out; forth

في
f-y → “on” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأسحار
s-ḥ-r → “dawn”

literal: dawn, daybreak; morning hour

وكن
k-w-n → “be”

literal: to be; existence

لهم
l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

كسلطان
s-l-ṭ → “benignant sovereign”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

شفيق،
sh-f-q

literal: tenderness; compassion; mercy; pity

لأنّهم
ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; because; inasmuch as

كنزك
k-n-z → “treasures”

literal: treasure; treasure-trove; hidden store; treasury

الأرض
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

فينبغي
n-b-gh → “behooveth”

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

لحضرتك
ḥ-ḍ-r → “thee”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

بأن
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; because; inasmuch as

تحفظ
ḥ-f-ẓ → “safeguard”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

أيدي
y-d-y → “hands”

literal: hand; power; action; possession

السّارقين،
s-r-q → “stolen” Distinctive

literal: thief; robber; stealer

تجسّس
j-s-s → “Inquire”

literal: to spy, investigate; investigate

أمورهم
ʾ-m-r → “affairs”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

وأحوالهم
ḥ-w-l → “condition”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

كلّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

بل
b-l → “nay”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

شهر
sh-h-r → “well-known” Distinctive

literal: city; month; fame, renown

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