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Gleanings — §59

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 59 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

رَبِّكَ مَالِكِ الأَسْمَآءِ، ثُمَّ زَيِّنِ الْعَالَمَ بِطِرَازِ أَلْطَافِ رَبِّكَ سُلْطَانُ الْقِدَمِ، لأَنَّا نَجِدُ عَرْفَ يَوْمٍ فِيْهِ تَجَلَّى الْمَقْصُودُ عَلَى مَمَالِكِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشُّهُودِ بِأَسْمَائِهِ الْحُسْنَى وَشُمُوسِ أَلْطَافِهِ الَّتِي مَا اطَّلَعَ بِهَا إِلاَّ نَفْسُهُ الْمُهَيْمِنَةُ عَلَى مَنْ فِي الإِبْدَاعِ، لا تَنْظُرِ الْخَلْقَ إِلاَّ بِعَيْنِ الرَّأْفَةِ وَالْوِدَادِ لأَنَّ رَحْمَتَنَا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Forget the world of creation, O Pen, and turn thou towards the face of thy Lord, the Lord of all names. Adorn, then, the world with the ornament of the favors of thy Lord, the King of everlasting days. For We perceive the fragrance of the Day whereon He Who is the Desire of all nations hath shed upon the kingdoms of the unseen and of the seen the splendor of the light of His most excellent names, and enveloped them with the radiance of the luminaries of His most gracious favors — favors which none can reckon except Him, Who is the omnipotent Protector of the entire creation.

Translation Notes

رَبِّكَ
r-b-b → “thy Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

مَالِكِ
m-l-k → “Lord”

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

الأَسْمَآءِ،
s-m-w → “of all names”

literal: heaven; sky

ثُمَّ
th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

زَيِّنِ
z-y-n → “Adorn”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

الْعَالَمَ
ʿ-l-m → “the world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بِطِرَازِ
ṭ-r-z → “with the ornament”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

أَلْطَافِ
l-ṭ-f → “favors” Distinctive

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

سُلْطَانُ
s-l-ṭ → “King”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

الْقِدَمِ،
q-d-m → “of everlasting days” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

لأَنَّا
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: because, for

نَجِدُ
w-j-d → “perceive”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

عَرْفَ
ʿ-r-f → “fragrance”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

يَوْمٍ
y-w-m → “Day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

فِيْهِ
f-y → “whereon”

literal: alas; woe; oh

تَجَلَّى
j-l-w → “splendor”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

الْمَقْصُودُ
q-ṣ-d → “He Who is the Desire”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الْغَيْبِ
gh-y-b → “the unseen”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

وَالشُّهُودِ
sh-h-d → “of the seen” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

الْحُسْنَى
ḥ-s-n

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَشُمُوسِ
sh-m-s → “luminaries”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

الَّتِي
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

مَا
m-ʾ → “that”

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

اطَّلَعَ
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

بِهَا
b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

إِلاَّ
ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

نَفْسُهُ
n-f-s → “Him”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الْمُهَيْمِنَةُ
h-m-n → “omnipotent Protector”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

مَنْ
m-n

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

الإِبْدَاعِ،
b-d-ʿ → “creation”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

لا
l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَنْظُرِ
n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

الْخَلْقَ
kh-l-q

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

بِعَيْنِ
ʿ-y-n

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

الرَّأْفَةِ
r-ʾ-f

literal: compassion

وَالْوِدَادِ
w-d-d

literal: affection; love; friendship

لأَنَّ
ʾ-n

literal: because, for

رَحْمَتَنَا
r-ḥ-m

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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