Gleanings — §49

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 49 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ُكَ الْمُبْرَمُ الأَعْلَى لأَحْيَيْتُ مَنْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ بِالْكَلِمَةِ الْعُلْيَا الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ لِسَانِ قُدْرَتِكَ فِي مَلَكُوتِ عِزِّكَ وَبَشَّرْتُهُمْ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الأَبْهَى مَقَامِ الَّذِي فِيهِ ظَهَرَ الْمَكْنُونُ بِاسْمِكَ الظَّاهِرِ الْمُهَيْمِنِ الْقَيُّومِ، يَا قَلَمِ هَلْ تَرَى الْيَوْمَ غَيْرِي أَيْنَ الأَشْيَاءُ وَظُهُورَاتُهَا وَأَيْنَ الأَسْمَاءُ وَمَلَكُوتُهَا وَالْبَوَاطِنُ وَأَسْرَارُهَا وَالظَّوَاهِر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Canst thou discover anyone but Me, O Pen, in this Day? What hath become of the creation and the manifestations thereof? What of the names and their kingdom? Whither are gone all created things, whether seen or unseen? What of the hidden secrets of the universe and its revelations? Lo, the entire creation hath passed away! Nothing remaineth except My Face, the Ever-Abiding, the Resplendent, the All-Glorious.

Translation Notes

الْمُبْرَمُ

literal: to bind firmly; compelling, irresistible, immovable

الأَعْلَى

literal: highest; most high; supreme

لأَحْيَيْتُ

literal: life; living; shame

مَنْ

m-n

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

الأَرْضِ

literal: earth; land; ground; country

بِالْكَلِمَةِ

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

الَّتِي

literal: who; which/that; which

سَمِعْتُهَا

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

لِسَانِ

literal: tongue; language

قُدْرَتِكَ

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: alas; woe; oh

عِزِّكَ

ʿ-z-z → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

وَبَشَّرْتُهُمْ

literal: human; glad-tidings; herald

بِالْمَنْظَرِ

literal: look; looking; view

الأَبْهَى

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

مَقَامِ

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الَّذِي

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

الْمَكْنُونُ

literal: to do; to make; to perform

الْمُهَيْمِنِ

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

يَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

قَلَمِ

q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

هَلْ

h-l → “people” Distinctive

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

تَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

الْيَوْمَ

y-w-m → “this Day”

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

غَيْرِي

gh-y-r → “anyone but”

literal: without; besides; other than; except

أَيْنَ

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

الأَشْيَاءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “the creation” Distinctive

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

وَظُهُورَاتُهَا

ẓ-h-r → “manifestations thereof”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

وَأَيْنَ

ʾ-y-n → “Where”

literal: this; these

الأَسْمَاءُ

s-m-w → “the names”

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

وَمَلَكُوتُهَا

m-l-k → “and their kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَالْبَوَاطِنُ

literal: inward; inner; hidden

وَأَسْرَارُهَا

s-r-r → “hidden secrets”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

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