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Gleanings — §591

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 591 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

و‌السّماء تاللّه الحقّ إنّي لحوريّة خلقني البهاء في قصر اسمه الأبهى وزيّن نفسي بطراز الأسماء في الملأ الأعلى وإنّي لقد كنت محفوظة خلف حجبات العصمة و‌مستورة عن أَنْظُرِ البريّة اذا سمعت أبدع الألحان عن شطر أيمن الرّحمن شهدت بأنّ الجنان تحرّكت في نفسها شوقا لإستماعها و‌طلبا للقائها كذلك نزّلنا في قيّوم الأسماء علی لحن البقاء و‌علی لحن الأحلی في هذا اللّوح المبين قل إنّه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Cry out before the gaze of the dwellers of heaven and of earth: I am the Maid of Heaven, the Offspring begotten by the Spirit of Bahá. My habitation is the Mansion of His Name, the All-Glorious. Before the Concourse on high I was adorned with the ornament of His names. I was wrapt within the veil of an inviolable security, and lay hidden from the eyes of men. Methinks that I heard a Voice of divine and incomparable sweetness, proceeding from the right hand of the God of Mercy, and lo, the whole Paradise stirred and trembled before Me, in its longing to hear its accents, and gaze on the beauty of Him that uttered them. Thus have We revealed in this luminous Tablet, and in the sweetest of languages, the verses which the Tongue of Eternity was moved to utter in the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’.

Translation Notes

و‌السّماء
s-m-w → “heaven and of earth”

literal: heaven; sky

تاللّه
ʾ-l-h → “divine”

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

الحقّ
ḥ-q-q

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

إنّي
ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

لحوريّة
ḥ-w-r → “Maid of Heaven”

literal: maiden of paradise; houri

خلقني
kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

البهاء
b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

قصر
q-ṣ-r → “Mansion”

literal: shortcoming; negligence; falling short; to be deficient

وزيّن
z-y-n → “I was adorned”

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

بطراز
ṭ-r-z → “with the ornament”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

الملأ
m-l-ʾ → “the Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الأعلى
ʿ-l-w → “on high”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

لقد
q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

كنت
k-w-n → “was”

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

محفوظة
ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

خلف
kh-l-f → “within”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

حجبات
ḥ-j-b → “veil”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

العصمة
ʿ-ṣ-m → “protection”

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

و‌مستورة
s-t-r → “lay hidden”

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

عن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

أَنْظُرِ
n-ẓ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

البريّة
b-r-ʾ → “men”

literal: high; exalted; upper; to adorn; to arrange; to prepare; banners; standards

اذا
ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

سمعت
s-m-ʿ → “heard”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

أبدع
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

الألحان
l-ḥ-n → “melody” Distinctive

literal: melodies; songs; tunes

شطر
sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

أيمن
y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

الرّحمن
r-ḥ-m → “the God of Mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

شهدت
sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بأنّ
ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

الجنان
j-n-n → “the whole Paradise” Distinctive

literal: garden; paradise; heaven

تحرّكت
ḥ-r-k → “stirred and trembled”

literal: move; movement; mover

نفسها
n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

شوقا
sh-w-q → “in its longing”

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

و‌طلبا
ṭ-l-b

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

للقائها
l-q-y → “before”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

كذلك
dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

نزّلنا
n-z-l → “have We revealed”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

قيّوم
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; resurrection; uprising; establishment

البقاء
b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

الأحلی
ḥ-l-w → “in the sweetest of languages”

literal: sweetest; most sweet; most pleasant

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

اللّوح
l-w-ḥ → “luminous Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

المبين
b-y-n → “Before” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

قل
q-w-l → “Cry out” Distinctive

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

إنّه
ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶
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50 ¶
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The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶
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The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶
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Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

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17 ¶
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57 ¶
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160 ¶
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59 ¶