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Gleanings — §494

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 494 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مشاهده مینمودی ولکن قضی ما قضی حال کرّة اخری در این ورقهٴ بیضا لسان قدم در این سجن اعظم میفرماید ای احبّای حقّ از مفازهٴ ضیّقهٴ نفس و هوی بفضاهای مقدّسهٴ احدیّه بشتابید و در حدیقهٴ تقدیس و تنزیه مأوی گیرید تا از نفحات اعمالیّه کلّ بریّه بشاطی عزّ احدیّه توجّه ن

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Once again doth the Tongue of the Ancient of Days reveal, while in this Most Great Prison, these words which are recorded in this snow-white Scroll: O ye the beloved of the one true God! Pass beyond the narrow retreats of your evil and corrupt desires, and advance into the vast immensity of the realm of God, and abide ye in the meads of sanctity and of detachment, that the fragrance of your deeds may lead the whole of mankind to the ocean of God’s unfading glory. Forbear ye from concerning yourselves with the affairs of this world and all that pertaineth unto it, or from meddling with the activities of those who are its outward leaders.

Translation Notes

مشاهده
sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

مینمودی
n-m-ود → “recorded”

literal: to appear; to show; to display; to exhibit

ولکن
l-k-n

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

قضی
q-ḍ-y

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

ما
m-ʾ

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

حال
ḥ-w-l

literal: state; condition; circumstance

کرّة
k-r-r → “Time and again” Distinctive

literal: to dislike; to hate; sphere; ball

اخری
ʾ-kh-r

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

این
ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

ورقهٴ
w-r-q

literal: leaf; dove; leaves

بیضا
b-y-ḍ → “snow-white Scroll”

literal: white; pure; bright; radiant; clear

لسان
l-s-n → “Tongue”

literal: tongue; language

قدم
q-d-m → “Ancient of Days”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

سجن
s-j-n → “Most Great Prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

اعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great Prison”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

میفرماید
f-r-m → “saith”

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

ای
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

احبّای
ḥ-b-b → “beloved”

literal: love; affection

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “one true God”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

از
ʾ-z → “from concerning”

literal: from

مفازهٴ
f-w-z → “attain” Distinctive

literal: successful; victorious; attain

ضیّقهٴ
ḍ-y-q

literal: narrowness/oppression; became narrow; narrow

نفس
n-f-s → “yourselves” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

هوی
h-w-y → “evil and corrupt desires”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

بفضاهای
f-ḍ-w → “realm” Distinctive

literal: space; expanse; void

احدیّه
ʾ-ḥ-d → “of God”

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

بشتابید
sh-t-b → “hasten”

literal: to hasten; to hurry; hastily

حدیقهٴ
ḥ-d-q → “unto the garden” Distinctive

literal: garden; gardens; garden, paradise

تقدیس
q-d-s → “sanctity”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

تنزیه
n-z-h → “sanctified”

literal: exalted; sanctified; free from; removed from

مأوی
ʾ-w-y → “abide”

literal: water; shelter; refuge; dwelling; abode; essence

گیرید
g-y-r → “abide ye”

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp; to hold; to seek

تا
t-y-y → “that”

literal: so that/until

نفحات
n-f-ḥ → “fragrance”

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

اعمالیّه
ʿ-m-l → “deeds”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

کلّ
k-l-l → “whole” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

بریّه
b-r-ʾ → “mankind”

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

بشاطی
sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: shore; bank; coast; beach

عزّ
ʿ-z-z → “glory”

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

توجّه
w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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