Gleanings — §581

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 581 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن يا أيّها المسافر إلی اللّه خذ نصيبك من هذا البحر و‌لا تحرم نفسك عمّا قدّر فيه و‌كن من الفائزين ولو يرزقنّ كلّ من في السّموات و‌الأرض بقطرة منه ليغنيّن في أنفسهم بغناء اللّه المقتدر العليم الحكيم خذ بيد الإنقطاع غرفة من هذا البحر الحيوان ثمّ رشّح منها علی الكائنات ليطهّرهم عن حدودات البشر و‌يقرّبهم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O wayfarer in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie hidden in its depths. Be thou of them that have partaken of its treasures. A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon all that are in the heavens and on the earth, suffice to enrich them with the bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. With the hands of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made limitations and may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and resplendent Spot.

Translation Notes

أن

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)

المسافر

s-f-r → “Embassy” Distinctive

literal: embassy, envoy, intercession

إلی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

خذ

ʾ-kh-dh → “laid hold” Distinctive

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

نصيبك

n-ṣ-b → “portion”

literal: share; portion; lot; fate

من

m-n → “of the”

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

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this ocean”

literal: this; that

البحر

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

و‌لا

w-l-y → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تحرم

ḥ-r-m → “deprive”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

نفسك

n-f-s → “thyself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

قدّر

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

فيه

f-y → “in” Distinctive

literal: alas; woe; oh

و‌كن

k-w-n → “Be thou”

literal: to be; existence

الفائزين

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

ولو

l-w → “If”

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

يرزقنّ

r-z-q → “partake” Distinctive

literal: sustenance; provision; to grant livelihood

كلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

السّموات

s-m-w → “heavens”

literal: heaven; sky

و‌الأرض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “on the earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

بقطرة

q-ṭ-r → “dewdrop”

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

بغناء

gh-n-y → “wealth”

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

العليم

ʿ-l-m → “All-Knowing”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الحكيم

ḥ-k-m → “All-Wise”

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

بيد

y-d-y → “With the hands”

literal: it is necessary; it behooves; one must

الإنقطاع

q-ṭ-ʿ → “renunciation”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

غرفة

literal: chamber; room; elevated chamber

الحيوان

ḥ-y-w → “life-giving waters”

literal: life; living being; animal

ثمّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

رشّح

r-sh-ḥ → “sprinkle”

literal: emanations; outpourings; effusions

علی

ʿ-l-w → “all created things” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ليطهّرهم

ṭ-h-r → “be cleansed”

literal: purify; pure; purified

عن

ʿ-n → “from all”

literal: with them; in their company

حدودات

ḥ-d-d → “limitations”

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

البشر

b-sh-r → “man-made” Distinctive

literal: human; mankind; human nature

و‌يقرّبهم

q-r-b → “may approach” Distinctive

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

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