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Gleanings — §595

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 595 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

لا زال قلم مالک قدم بذکر دوستان مشغول و متحرّک گاهی فرات رحمت از او جاری و هنگامی کتاب مبین از او نازل اوست یکتا و خطیب اوّل دنیا لازال بر منبر تمکین متمکّن و بمواعظ کافیه و نصایح نافعه ناطق حقّ شاهد و خلق

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Pen of the Ancient King hath never ceased to remember the loved ones of God. At one time, rivers of mercy have streamed from His Pen, at another, through its movement, God’s perspicuous Book hath been revealed. He is the One to Whom none can compare, Whose utterance mortal man can never rival. He it is Who from everlasting hath been established upon the seat of ascendancy and might, He from Whose lips have gone out counsels that can satisfy the needs of the whole of mankind, and admonitions that can profit them.

Translation Notes

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

زال
z-w-l → “at all times”

literal: to pass away; to vanish; to disappear; to cease

قلم
q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

مالک
m-l-k → “Ancient King”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

قدم
q-d-m

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

بذکر
dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

دوستان
d-w-s-t → “friends”

literal: friend; beloved

مشغول
sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

متحرّک
ḥ-r-k → “through its movement” Distinctive

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

گاهی
g-ʾ-h → “At one time”

literal: sometimes; at times; occasionally

فرات
f-r-t → “living waters”

literal: sweet water; river; the Euphrates

رحمت
r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

از
ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

او
h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

جاری
j-r-y → “streamed”

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

هنگامی
h-n-g → “time” Distinctive

literal: time; when; occasion

کتاب
k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

مبین
b-y-n → “perspicuous”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

نازل
n-z-l → “revealed”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

اوست
h-s-t → “is”

literal: is; be; are

یکتا
y-k-t → “One”

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

خطیب
kh-ṭ-b → “addressed” Distinctive

literal: discourse; address; speech; utterance; the divine word

اوّل
ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

دنیا
d-n-w → “world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

بر
b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

منبر
n-b-r → “pulpits” Distinctive

literal: pulpit; elevated platform for preaching

تمکین
m-k-n → “established”

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

بمواعظ
w-ʿ-ẓ → “counsels”

literal: exhortation; admonition; preaching

کافیه
k-f-y → “suffice”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

نصایح
n-ṣ-ḥ → “admonitions”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

نافعه
n-f-ʿ → “can profit”

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

ناطق
n-ṭ-q

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “God”

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

شاهد
sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

خلق
kh-l-q → “mankind” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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16 ¶
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59 ¶