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Gleanings — §514

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 514 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

إتّقوا الله يا معشر الملوك ولا تحرموا أنفسكم عن هذا الفضل الأكبر فألقوا ما في أيديكم فتمسّكوا بعروة الله العليّ العظيم وتوجّهوا بقلوبكم إلى وجه الله ثمّ اتركوا ما أمركم به هواكم ولا تكوننّ من الخاسرين. أن يا عبد فاذكر لهم نبأ عليّ إذ جاءهم بالحقّ ومعه كتاب عزّ حكيم، وفي يديه حجّة من الله وبرهانه ودلائل قدس كر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed. Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good heed not to overstep their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path.

Translation Notes

إتّقوا
w-q-y → “Lay not aside the fear”

literal: to fear; to frighten; afraid

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

معشر
ʿ-sh-r

literal: association; companionship; social interaction; عشرين (twenty) is from numeral root ع-ش-ر, distinct from ‘association’ meaning

الملوك
m-l-k → “kings”

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

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

تحرموا
ḥ-r-m → “deprived” Distinctive

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

أنفسكم
n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

عن
ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this, verily, is the straight path”

literal: this; that

الفضل
f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

الأكبر
k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

فألقوا
l-q-y

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

ما
m-ʾ

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

في
f-y → “in”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

أيديكم
y-d-y

literal: hand; power; strength; (plural) hands; agents; helpers; to assist, to support, to aid, to strengthen

فتمسّكوا
m-s-k

literal: musk; to seize; grip

بعروة
ʿ-r-w

literal: handle; rope; firm bond; connection

العليّ
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

العظيم
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وتوجّهوا
w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

بقلوبكم
q-l-b

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

إلى
ʾ-l-y

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

ثمّ
th-m-m

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اتركوا
t-r-k

literal: to leave; to abandon; to forsake

أمركم
ʾ-m-r

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

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

هواكم
h-w-y

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

تكوننّ
k-w-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

من
m-n

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

الخاسرين.
kh-s-r

literal: loss; ruin; to suffer loss

أن
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عبد
ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

فاذكر
dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

لهم
l-h-m

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

نبأ
n-b-ʾ

literal: prophet; messenger

إذ
ʾ-dh-dh

literal: when; since

جاءهم
j-y-ʾ

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

بالحقّ
ḥ-q-q

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

ومعه
m-ʿ

literal: معه = مع + ه (with him), preposition, not from root ع-م-م

كتاب
k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

عزّ
ʿ-z-z → “Almighty” Distinctive

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

حكيم،
ḥ-k-m

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

حجّة
ḥ-j-j

literal: path, way; clear path

وبرهانه
b-r-h

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

ودلائل
d-l-l

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

قدس
q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

كر
k-r-h

literal: deaf; abhor; even if they dislike

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶
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16 ¶
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291 ¶
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17 ¶
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59 ¶