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Gleanings — §485

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 485 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

كالسّحاب ينفق على العباد كما ينفق السّحاب أمطار الرّحمة على كلّ أرض بأمر من مدبّر عليم، إيّاك أن لا تطمئنّ من أحد في أمرك ولم يكن لك أحد كمثلك على نفسك كذلك نبيّن لك كلمات الحكمة ونلقي عليك ما يقلّبك عن شمال الظّلم إلى يمين العدل ويهديك إلى شاطئ قرب منير،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Have a care not to entrust thine affairs of state entirely into another’s hands. None can discharge thy functions better than thine own self. Thus do We make clear unto thee Our words of wisdom, and send down upon thee that which can enable thee to pass over from the left hand of oppression to the right hand of justice, and approach the resplendent ocean of His favors. Such is the path which the kings that were before thee have trodden, they that acted equitably towards their subjects, and walked in the ways of undeviating justice.

Translation Notes

كالسّحاب
s-ḥ-b

literal: cloud; clouds

ينفق
n-f-q

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

على
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

العباد
ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

كما
k-m

literal: as; like; how much; lane; street; quarter; abode

أمطار
m-ṭ-r

literal: rain

الرّحمة
r-ḥ-m

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

كلّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

أرض
ʾ-r-ḍ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

من
m-n

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

مدبّر
d-b-r

literal: deliberation; consideration; prudence; management; planning; counsel

عليم،
ʿ-l-m

literal: world; universe; the worlds

إيّاك
ʾ-y-y → “verse” Distinctive

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

أن
ʾ-n → “not” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا
l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تطمئنّ
ṭ-m-n → “confidence” Distinctive

literal: be tranquil; be at peace; be composed; be assured

أحد
ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أمرك
ʾ-m-r → “thine affairs of state” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

ولم
l-m → “wherefore”

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

يكن
k-w-n → “can” Distinctive

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

لك
l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

كمثلك
m-th-l → “as” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

نفسك
n-f-s → “thine own self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

كذلك
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

نبيّن
b-y-n → “make clear”

literal: between; utterance; clear

كلمات
k-l-m → “words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

الحكمة
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

ونلقي
l-q-y → “send down”

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

عليك
ʿ-l-y → “upon thee”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

يقلّبك
q-l-b → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

شمال
sh-m-l → “left hand”

literal: to comprehend; to include; whole; all

الظّلم
ẓ-l-m → “oppression”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

إلى
ʾ-l-y → “to the” Distinctive

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

يمين
y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

العدل
ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

ويهديك
h-d-y → “guidance” Distinctive

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

شاطئ
sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

قرب
q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

منير،
n-w-r → “resplendent”

literal: light; illumination

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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