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Gleanings — §640

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 640 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

باو متوجّه ناظر باین مباش که احبّای الهی در این ایّام بذلّت ظاهره مبتلا شده‌اند این ذلّت فخر عزّتها است کدام عزّت است اعظم از آنکه لسان قدم در سجن اعظم بذکر احبّای خود مشغول شود زود است که سحاب مانعه خرق شود و شمس کلمهٴ مشرقهٴ العزّة للّه و لأحبّائه از افق سماء مشیّت مشرق و طالع

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Pay thou no heed to the humiliation to which the loved ones of God have in this Day been subjected. This humiliation is the pride and glory of all temporal honor and worldly elevation. What greater honor can be imagined than the honor conferred by the Tongue of the Ancient of Days when He calleth to remembrance His loved ones in His Most Great Prison? The day is approaching when the intervening clouds will have been completely dissipated, when the light of the words, “All honor belongeth unto God and unto them that love Him,” will have appeared, as manifest as the sun, above the horizon of the Will of the Almighty.

Translation Notes

باو
ʾ-w-w

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

متوجّه
w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

ناظر
n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

literal: neck; slaves; those held in bonds

باین
b-y-n → “utterance”

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

که
k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

احبّای
ḥ-b-b → “loved ones”

literal: love; affection

الهی
ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

در
d-r-r → “in this”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

این
ʾ-y-n → “in this” Distinctive

literal: this; these

ایّام
y-w-m → “Day”

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

ظاهره
ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

مبتلا
b-l-w → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

شده‌اند
sh-d → “been subjected” Distinctive

literal: become; turned into; has become; to become; to be

ذلّت
dh-l-l → “humiliation”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

فخر
f-kh-r → “pride”

literal: glory; boasting; pride

عزّتها
ʿ-z-z → “glory of all temporal honor”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

است
b-w-d → “is”

literal: be, exist; do not be (in negative imperative)

کدام
k-d-m → “What”

literal: which; what; whoever; any

اعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

آنکه
ʾ-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; indeed; that, to

لسان
l-s-n → “Tongue”

literal: tongue; language

قدم
q-d-m → “Ancient of Days”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

سجن
s-j-n → “Most Great Prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

بذکر
dh-k-r → “calleth to remembrance” Distinctive

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

خود
kh-w-d → “His” Distinctive

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

مشغول
sh-gh-l

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

شود
sh-w-d → “will have appeared” Distinctive

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

زود
z-w-d → “too soon”

literal: soon; quickly; early

سحاب
s-ḥ-b → “intervening clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

مانعه
m-n-ʿ

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

خرق
kh-r-q → “rent asunder”

literal: miracle; extraordinary occurrence; to tear; to breach

شمس
sh-m-s → “sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

کلمهٴ
k-l-m → “words”

literal: word; words; speak

مشرقهٴ
sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

افق
ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

سماء
s-m-w

literal: heaven; sky

مشیّت
sh-y-ʾ → “Will”

literal: way; manner; gait; to walk; to go; to proceed

طالع
ṭ-l-ʿ

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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