Gleanings — §546

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 546 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

توحید بدیع مقدّس از تحدید و عرفان موجودات ساحت عزّ حضرت لا یزالی را لایق و سزا است که لم ‌یزل و لا یزال در مکمن قدس اجلال خود بوده و فی ازل الآزال در مقعد و مقرّ استقلال خود و استجلال خود خواهد بود چه ‌قدر غنی و مستغنی بوده ذات منزّهش از عرفان ممکنات و چه مقدار عالی و متعالی خواهد بود از ذکر سکّان

Shoghi Effendi Translation

How wondrous is the unity of the Living, the Ever-Abiding God — a unity which is exalted above all limitations, that transcendeth the comprehension of all created things! He hath, from everlasting, dwelt in His inaccessible habitation of holiness and glory, and will unto everlasting continue to be enthroned upon the heights of His independent sovereignty and grandeur. How lofty hath been His incorruptible Essence, how completely independent of the knowledge of all created things, and how immensely exalted will it remain above the praise of all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth!

Translation Notes

توحید

w-ḥ-d → “unity”

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

بدیع

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

مقدّس

q-d-s → “is exalted”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

تحدید

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

عرفان

ʿ-r-f → “comprehension” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

موجودات

w-j-d → “all created things”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ساحت

literal: court; presence; domain; vicinity

عزّ

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

حضرت

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

لا

literal: no; not; negation particle

یزالی

literal: cease; to cease; decline

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

لایق

literal: worthy, befitting, appropriate, suitable

سزا

literal: worthy; fitting; deserving; appropriate; suitable

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

لم

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

در

d-r-r → “in His”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

مکمن

k-m-n → “repository”

literal: repository; treasury; hidden place; to hide; to conceal; latency; concealment

اجلال

j-l-l → “glory”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

خود

kh-w-d → “His” Distinctive

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

بوده

b-w-d → “hath been” Distinctive

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

فی

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

ازل

ʾ-z-l → “unto everlasting”

literal: eternity; pre-eternity; without beginning; eternal; everlasting; from eternity

مقعد

q-ʿ-d → “seat”

literal: rule; principle; foundation; basis

مقرّ

literal: matter; affair; thing

استقلال

q-l-w → “independent sovereignty”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

خواهد

kh-w-h → “will”

literal: will; to wish; to want

چه

ch-h → “For”

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

‌قدر

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

غنی

gh-n-y → “completely independent” Distinctive

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

مستغنی

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

ذات

dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: self; essence; being

منزّهش

n-z-h → “sanctified” Distinctive

literal: exaltation; exalted; transcendence

ممکنات

m-k-n → “all created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

عالی

ʿ-l-w → “immensely exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ذکر

dh-k-r → “praise”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

سکّان

s-k-n → “inhabitants” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

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