Gleanings — §507

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 507 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن يا أيّها الملوك قد قضت عشرين من السّنين وكنّا في كلّ يوم منها في بلاء جديد وورد علينا ما لا ورد على أحد قبلنا إن أنتم من السّامعين، بحيث قتلونا وسفكوا دماءنا وأخذوا أموالنا وهتكوا حرمتنا وأنتم سمعتم أكثرها وما كنتم من المانعين، بعد الّذي ينبغي لكم بأن تمنعوا الظّالم عن ظلمه وتحكموا بين النّاس بالعدل ليظهر عدالتكم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Twenty years have passed, O kings, during which We have, each day, tasted the agony of a fresh tribulation. No one of them that were before Us hath endured the things We have endured. Would that ye could perceive it! They that rose up against Us have put us to death, have shed our blood, have plundered our property, and violated our honor. Though aware of most of our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind?

Translation Notes

إن

ʾ-n → “Would that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

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

أيّها

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

الملوك

m-l-k → “kings”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

قد

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

قضت

q-ḍ-y → “passed”

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

عشرين

ʿ-sh-r → “associated” Distinctive

literal: assembly; association; associate

من

m-n → “of”

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

السّنين

s-n-w → “years”

literal: arrow; pointed weapon; spear-point; edge

وكنّا

k-w-n → “We have” Distinctive

literal: to be; existence

في

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

كلّ

k-l-l → “each” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

يوم

y-w-m → “day”

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

بلاء

b-l-w → “tribulation”

literal: trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity

جديد

j-d-d → “fresh”

literal: new, novel, renewed; novelty, innovation

وورد

w-r-d → “hath endured”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

علينا

ʿ-l-y → “against Us”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

لا

l-ʾ → “No”

literal: no; not; negation particle

على

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أحد

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

قبلنا

q-b-l → “before Us”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

أنتم

n-t-m → “you”

literal: you (plural)

السّامعين،

s-m-ʿ → “heard” Distinctive

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

بحيث

ḥ-y-th → “in such wise that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

قتلونا

q-t-l → “put us to death”

literal: slayer; killer; murderer

وسفكوا

s-f-k → “have shed”

literal: to shed; to spill; bloodshed; to shed (blood)

دماءنا

d-m-y → “blood”

literal: breath; moment; instant

وأخذوا

ʾ-kh-dh → “laid hold” Distinctive

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

أموالنا

m-w-l → “property”

literal: hope; wish; desire; aspiration

وهتكوا

h-t-k → “profaneth”

literal: to tear, rend, violate, break; desecration

حرمتنا

ḥ-r-m → “deprived” Distinctive

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

أكثرها

k-th-r → “most”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

المانعين،

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “For” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

الّذي

l-dh-y

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

ينبغي

n-b-gh → “behooveth”

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

لكم

l-k-m → “your”

literal: for you, to you, your (dative pronoun)

بأن

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

الظّالم

ẓ-l-m → “oppressor”

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

عن

ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وتحكموا

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

بين

b-y-n

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

النّاس

n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

بالعدل

ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

ليظهر

ẓ-h-r → “demonstrated” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

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160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶