Gleanings — §511

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 511 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و در مقامی حضرت موجود در سبب و علّت اوّلیّهٴ سکون و راحت امم و عمار عالم میفرماید: لابدّ بر این است مجمع بزرگی در ارض برپا شود و ملوک و سلاطین در آن مجمع مفاوضه در صلح اکبر نمایند و آن این است که دول عظیمه برای آسایش عالم بصلح محکم متشبّث شوند و اگر ملکی بر ملکی برخیزد جمیع متّفقاً بر منع قیام نمایند در این صورت عالم محتاج بمهمّات حربیّه و صفوف عسکریّه نبوده و نیست الّا علی قدر یحفظون به ممالکهم و بلدانهم اینست سبب آسایش دولت و رعیّت و مملکت انشآءالله ملوک و سلاطین که مرایای اسم عزیز الهیند باین مقام فائز شوند و عالم را از سطوت ظلم محفوظ دارند...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of the peace and tranquillity of the world and the advancement of its peoples, hath written: The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people, government and nation.

Translation Notes

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Great Being” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

موجود

w-j-d → “Great Being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

سبب

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

علّت

ʿ-l-l

literal: for us; to us

اوّلیّهٴ

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

سکون

s-k-n → “inmates” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

راحت

r-w-ḥ

literal: rest; comfort; ease; relief

امم

ʾ-m-m → “its peoples”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

عمار

ʿ-m-r → “By My life” Distinctive

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

میفرماید:

f-r-m → “hath written” Distinctive

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

لابدّ

b-d-d → “must come”

literal: must, necessarily, needs must, there is no escape

بر

b-r-r → “righteous” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

این

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

مجمع

j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

بزرگی

b-z-r-g → “great”

literal: great; large; important; grandeur

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

برپا

b-r-p-ʾ → “holding”

literal: erected; established; set up

شود

sh-w-d → “be”

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

ملوک

m-l-k → “rulers and kings”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

سلاطین

s-l-ṭ

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

آن

ʾ-n → “its” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

مفاوضه

f-w-ḍ → “commit” Distinctive

literal: to delegate; to entrust; to resign; resignation to God’s will

صلح

ṣ-l-ḥ → “betterment” Distinctive

literal: peace; reconciliation

اکبر

k-b-r

literal: liver; soul; essence

نمایند

n-m-ʾ → “consider” Distinctive

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

دول

d-w-l → “government”

literal: state; government; dynasty; period of rule; dominion

عظیمه

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Great Powers”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

برای

b-r-y → “for the sake”

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

آسایش

ʾ-s-y → “well-being”

literal: shadow; shade; shelter; protection

محکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

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

متشبّث

sh-b-th → “clung” Distinctive

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

برخیزد

kh-y-z → “arisen” Distinctive

literal: arise; arose; arisen

متّفقاً

w-f-q → “unitedly”

literal: agreement; grant success; grant-success

منع

m-n-ʿ → “prevent”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

قیام

q-w-m → “arise”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

صورت

ṣ-w-r → “trumpet-call” Distinctive

literal: to imagine; to conceive; to suppose

محتاج

ḥ-w-j → “require”

literal: needy, in need, requiring, dependent

بمهمّات

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: endeavor; effort; also

حربیّه

ḥ-r-b

literal: fight; war; warfare

صفوف

ṣ-f-f

literal: rows; ranks; battalions; lines

عسکریّه

ʿ-s-k-r

literal: hosts, armies, troops

نبوده

b-w-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

الّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

علی

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

قدر

q-d-r → “purpose” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

یحفظون

ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

بلدانهم

b-l-d → “city” Distinctive

literal: city; land; country

اینست

h-s-t

literal: is; be; are

رعیّت

r-ʿ-y → “subjects”

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

انشآءالله

sh-y-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

مرایای

r-ʾ-y

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

اسم

s-m-w

literal: name; title; designation

عزیز

ʿ-z-z

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

الهیند

ʾ-l-h

literal: God; divine; god

باین

b-y-n

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

فائز

f-w-z

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

سطوت

s-ṭ-w

literal: power; might/power; might

ظلم

ẓ-l-m

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

دارند...

d-ʾ-r

literal: to hold, keep, maintain, possess

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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 ¶