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Gleanings — §550

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 550 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ای برادر من شخص مجاهد که اراده نمود قدم طلب و سلوک در سبیل معرفت سلطان قدم گذارد باید در بدایت امر قلب را که محلّ ظهور و بروز تجلّی اسرار غیبی الهی است از جمیع غبارات تیرهٔ علوم اکتسابی و اشارات مظاهر شیطانی پاک و منزّه فرماید و صدر را که سریر ورود و جلوس محبّت محبوب ازلی است لطیف و نظیف نماید و همچنین دل را از علاقهٔ آب و گل یعنی از جمیع نقوش شبحیّه و صور ظلّیّه مقدّس گرداند بقسمی که آثار حبّ و بغض در قلب نماند که مبادا آن حبّ او را بجهتی بیدلی

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

Translation Notes

شخص
shkhṣ sh-kh-ṣ

literal: person; personality/identity; stare

SE rendered برادر (brádr)شخص (shkhṣ)مجاهد (mjáhd)اراده (irádh)نمود (nmúd)قدم (qdm)طلب (ṭlb) as “brother, true seeker, determineth, may, step of search”

man 56% highly-esteemed 11% true 11% one 11% worker 11%
سلوک
slúk s-l-k

literal: walk

SE rendered مجاهد (mjáhd)اراده (irádh)نمود (nmúd)قدم (qdm)طلب (ṭlb)سلوک (slúk)سبیل (sbíl)معرفت (mʿrft)سلطان (slṭán)قدم (qdm) as “true seeker, determineth, may, Ancient of Days, step of search, path, knowledge”

behavior 33% deal 33% walk 33%
سلطان
slṭán s-l-ṭ

literal: sovereignty; king; authority

SE rendered طلب (ṭlb)سلوک (slúk)سبیل (sbíl)معرفت (mʿrft)سلطان (slṭán)قدم (qdm)گذارد (gdhárd)باید (báyd)بدایت (bdáyt) as “step of search, path, knowledge, Ancient of Days, must, before all else”

گذارد
gdhárd g-dh-r

literal: pass; place; passed

SE rendered سبیل (sbíl)معرفت (mʿrft)سلطان (slṭán)قدم (qdm)گذارد (gdhárd)باید (báyd)بدایت (bdáyt)امر (imr)قلب (qlb) as “path, knowledge, Ancient of Days, must, before all else, heart”

renounced 23% renounce 17% have 13% abandon 10% pass 10% leave 7% relinquish 7% forsake 7% past 3% before 3%
امر
imr ʾ-m-r

literal: command; matter; cause

SE rendered قدم (qdm)گذارد (gdhárd)باید (báyd)بدایت (bdáyt)امر (imr)قلب (qlb)محلّ (mḥll)ظهور (ẓhúr)بروز (brúz) as “Ancient of Days, must, before all else, heart, seat, revelation”

تجلّی
tjllí j-l-w

literal: manifestation; manifest; manifested

SE rendered قلب (qlb)محلّ (mḥll)ظهور (ẓhúr)بروز (brúz)تجلّی (tjllí)اسرار (isrár)غیبی (ghíbí)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)جمیع (jmíʿ) as “heart, seat, revelation, mysteries, inner, God, from, all”

منزّه
mnzzh n-z-h

literal: exaltation; exalted

SE rendered اشارات (ishárát)مظاهر (mẓáhr)شیطانی (shíṭání)پاک (pák)منزّه (mnzzh)فرماید (frmáyd)صدر (ṣdr)سریر (srír) as “allusions, embodiments, satanic, cleanse, he, breast, sanctuary”

ورود
wrúd w-r-d

literal: entering; arrive

SE rendered فرماید (frmáyd)صدر (ṣdr)سریر (srír)ورود (wrúd)جلوس (jlús)محبّت (mḥbbt)محبوب (mḥbúb)ازلی (izlí) as “he, breast, sanctuary, love, Beloved, abiding”

جلوس
jlús j-l-s

literal: sitting; assembly; sitting, seated

SE rendered فرماید (frmáyd)صدر (ṣdr)سریر (srír)ورود (wrúd)جلوس (jlús)محبّت (mḥbbt)محبوب (mḥbúb)ازلی (izlí)لطیف (lṭíf) as “he, breast, sanctuary, love, Beloved, abiding”

لطیف
lṭíf l-ṭ-f

literal: subtle

SE rendered جلوس (jlús)محبّت (mḥbbt)محبوب (mḥbúb)ازلی (izlí)لطیف (lṭíf)نظیف (nẓíf)نماید (nmáyd)همچنین (hmchnín)دل (dl) as “love, Beloved, abiding, defilement, Even as, soul”

یعنی
yʿní ʿ-n-y

literal: meaning

SE rendered همچنین (hmchnín)دل (dl)از (iz)علاقهٔ (ʿláqh)آب (áb)گل (gl)یعنی (yʿní)از (iz)جمیع (jmíʿ)نقوش (nqúsh)شبحیّه (shbḥíḥh) as “Even as, soul, from, attachments, water, clay, all, shadowy”

who 40% meant 40% meaneth 20%
نقوش
nqúsh n-q-sh

literal: painter; painting; engraving/inscription

SE rendered علاقهٔ (ʿláqh)آب (áb)گل (gl)یعنی (yʿní)از (iz)جمیع (jmíʿ)نقوش (nqúsh)شبحیّه (shbḥíḥh)صور (ṣúr)ظلّیّه (ẓllílh)مقدّس (mqdds) as “attachments, water, clay, from, all, shadowy, ephemeral, sanctify”

seal 20% painter 20% painting 20% trace 20% limitations 20%
صور
ṣúr ṣ-w-r

literal: trumpet

SE rendered گل (gl)یعنی (yʿní)از (iz)جمیع (jmíʿ)نقوش (nqúsh)شبحیّه (shbḥíḥh)صور (ṣúr)ظلّیّه (ẓllílh)مقدّس (mqdds)گرداند (grdánd)بقسمی (bqsmí) as “clay, from, all, shadowy, ephemeral, sanctify, so”

گرداند
grdánd g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

SE rendered شبحیّه (shbḥíḥh)صور (ṣúr)ظلّیّه (ẓllílh)مقدّس (mqdds)گرداند (grdánd)بقسمی (bqsmí)آثار (áthár)حبّ (ḥbb)بغض (bghḍ) as “shadowy, ephemeral, sanctify, so, remnant, love, hate”

may 27% become 19% hath 12% made 12% thou 8% have 8% wouldst 4% end 4% rejected 4% stray 4%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶