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Gleanings — §675

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 675 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

کند چه شبها که رفت و چه روزها که درگذشت و چه وقتها که بآخر رسید و چه ساعات که بانتها آمد و جز باشتغال دنیای فانی نفسی برنیامد سعی نمائید تا این چند نفسی که باقی ماند باطل نشود عمرها چون برق میگذرد و فرقها بر بستر تراب مقرّ و منزل گیرد

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?

Translation Notes

کند
k-r-d “hath” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to act; to dig, excavate; slow

چه

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

شبها

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

که

literal: that; who; who, that

رفت

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

روزها

literal: day; time period

درگذشت
d-r “in” Distinctive

literal: to place, to put, to leave, to set, to pass

وقتها

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

بآخر

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

رسید

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

ساعات

literal: hour; moment; instant

بانتها

literal: end; limit; terminus

آمد
ʾ-m-d “come” Distinctive

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

جز
j-z

literal: except

باشتغال

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

دنیای

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

فانی
f-n-y “perisheth” Distinctive

literal: annihilation; perishing; extinction; cessation; the threshold

نفسی
n-f-s “one instant” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

برنیامد

literal: come; support; assist

سعی

literal: endeavor; effort; striving; exertion; endeavour

نمائید
n-m-ʾ “may” Distinctive

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit

تا

literal: so that/until

این

literal: this; these

چند
ch-n-d “while” Distinctive

literal: some; several; a few; how many

باقی

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

ماند

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

باطل

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

نشود

literal: to not become; to not be

عمرها

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

چون

literal: since; when; as

برق

literal: lightning; to flash; swiftness

میگذرد

literal: to place, to put, to leave, to set, to pass

فرقها
f-r-q “separation” Distinctive

literal: faction; sect; group; company

بر
b-r-r “righteous” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

بستر
b-s-t “fettered” Distinctive

literal: much; many; very; greatly

تراب

literal: dust; earth; soil

مقرّ

literal: matter; affair; thing

منزل

literal: to descend, to be revealed

گیرد

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp; to hold; to seek

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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