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Gleanings — §684

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 684 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

حال ای عباد از سراج قدس منير صمدانی که در مشکاة عزّ ربّانی مشتعل و مضیء است خود را ممنوع ننمائيد و سراج حبّ الهی را بدُهن هدايت در مشکاة استقامت در صدر منير خود بر افروزيد و بزجاج توکّل و انقطاع از ما سوی اللّه از هبوب انفاس مشرکين حفظش نمائيد ای بندگان مَثَل ظهور قدس احديّتم مِثلِ بحريست که در قعر و عمق آن لئالی لطيفه منيره ازيد از احصاء مستور باشد و هر طالبی البتّه بايد کمر جهد و طلب بسته بشاطی آن بحر در آيد تا قسمت مقدّره در الواح محتومه مکنونه را علی قدر طلبه و جهده اخذ نمايد حال اگر احدی بشاطی قدسش قدم نگذارد و در طلب او قيام ننمايد هيچ از آن بحر و لئالی آن کم شود و يا نقصی بر او وارد آيد فبئس ما توهّمتم فی انفسکم و ساء ما انتم تتوهّمون ای بندگان تاللّه الحقّ آن بحر اعظم لجّی و موّاج بسی نزديک و قريب است بلکه اقرب از حبل وريد . بآنی بآن فيض صمدانی و فضل سبحانی وَ جود رحمانی و کرم عزّ ابهائی واصل شويد و فائز گرديد

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light. O My servants! My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been preordained in God’s irrevocable and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.

Translation Notes

حال
ḥál ḥ-w-l

literal: state; now

SE rendered حال (ḥál)عباد (ʿbád)از (iz)سراج (sráj)قدس (qds)منير (mnír)صمدانی (ṣmdání) as “servants, of, Deprive not yourselves, resplendent, Divine glory”

now 57% consider 11% present 8% reflect 5% behold 5% state 4% how 3% today 3% what 3% ponder 3%
ربّانی
rbbání r-b-b

literal: Lord; lord; divine

SE rendered منير (mnír)صمدانی (ṣmdání)مشکاة (mshkáh)عزّ (ʿzz)ربّانی (rbbání)مشتعل (mshtʿl)مضیء (mḍíʾ) as “resplendent, Divine glory, Lamp, shineth, Light”

ممنوع
mmnúʿ m-n-ʿ

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

SE rendered مشتعل (mshtʿl)مضیء (mḍíʾ)ممنوع (mmnúʿ)ننمائيد (nnmáʾíd)سراج (sráj)حبّ (ḥbb)الهی (al-hí) as “shineth, Light, may, flame, love, God”

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered مشکاة (mshkáh)استقامت (istqámt)صدر (ṣdr)منير (mnír)بر (br)افروزيد (ifrúzíd)بزجاج (bzjáj)توکّل (túkkl)انقطاع (inqṭáʿ) as “shelter of your constancy, radiant, hearts, burn brightly, globe, trust, detachment”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
افروزيد
ifrúzíd f-r-w-z “kindle” Distinctive

literal: kindle; kindle/light

This form usually rendered as “burn” (1 occurrences)

kindle 50% burn 25% kindling 25%
قعر
qʿr q-ʿ-r “uprooted” Distinctive

literal: be uprooted; depth/bottom; uprooted

This form usually rendered as “depths” (1 occurrences)

uprooted 33% depths 33% torn 33%
عمق
ʿmq ʿ-m-q

literal: deep-study; depth

SE rendered احديّتم (iḥdídtm)مِثلِ (mithl)بحريست (bḥríst)قعر (qʿr)عمق (ʿmq)لئالی (lʾálí)لطيفه (lṭífh)منيره (mnírh)ازيد (izíd)از (iz) as “divinely ordained, an ocean, depths, pearls, surpassing luster, of”

2 occurrences in corpus

لطيفه
lṭífh l-ṭ-f

literal: subtle

SE rendered قعر (qʿr)عمق (ʿmq)لئالی (lʾálí)لطيفه (lṭífh)منيره (mnírh)ازيد (izíd)از (iz)احصاء (iḥṣáʾ)مستور (mstúr) as “depths, pearls, surpassing luster, of, innumerable, concealed”

ازيد
izíd z-y-d

literal: increase; more; increased

SE rendered عمق (ʿmq)لئالی (lʾálí)لطيفه (lṭífh)منيره (mnírh)ازيد (izíd)از (iz)احصاء (iḥṣáʾ)مستور (mstúr)باشد (báshd)هر (hr)طالبی (ṭálbí) as “pearls, surpassing luster, of, innumerable, concealed, may be, every, seeker”

waxed 20% increase 13% increasing 13% increased 13% grievous 7% greater 7% did 7% “thus 7% will 7% shall 7%
احصاء
iḥṣáʾ ḥ-ṣ-y “countless” Distinctive

literal: counted

This form usually rendered as “comprehension” (4 occurrences)

البتّه
al-btth b-t-t

literal: certainly; certainly, definitely

SE rendered احصاء (iḥṣáʾ)مستور (mstúr)باشد (báshd)هر (hr)طالبی (ṭálbí)البتّه (al-btth)بايد (báyd)کمر (kmr)جهد (jhd)طلب (ṭlb)بسته (bsth)بشاطی (bsháṭí) as “innumerable, concealed, may be, every, seeker, should, strive, search, shores”

کمر
kmr k-m-r

literal: loins; waist/loins

SE rendered باشد (báshd)هر (hr)طالبی (ṭálbí)البتّه (al-btth)بايد (báyd)کمر (kmr)جهد (jhd)طلب (ṭlb)بسته (bsth)بشاطی (bsháṭí)بحر (bḥr) as “may be, every, seeker, should, strive, search, shores, ocean”

loins 50% girded 25% gird 25%
بسته
bsth b-s-t

literal: bound

SE rendered بايد (báyd)کمر (kmr)جهد (jhd)طلب (ṭlb)بسته (bsth)بشاطی (bsháṭí)بحر (bḥr) as “should, strive, search, shores, ocean”

chained 22% fettered 22% depend 11% bound 11% girded 11% dependent 11% gird 11%
آيد
áyd ʾ-y-d

literal: may aid

SE rendered طلب (ṭlb)بسته (bsth)بشاطی (bsháṭí)بحر (bḥr)آيد (áyd)قسمت (qsmt)مقدّره (mqddrh)الواح (al-wáḥ)محتومه (mḥtúmh) as “search, shores, ocean, power, Tablets, irrevocable”

assist 50% may 17% aid 17% “seal.” 17%
قسمت
qsmt q-s-m

literal: manner; oath; oath, swear

SE rendered بشاطی (bsháṭí)بحر (bḥr)آيد (áyd)قسمت (qsmt)مقدّره (mqddrh)الواح (al-wáḥ)محتومه (mḥtúmh)مکنونه (mknúnh) as “shores, ocean, power, Tablets, irrevocable, hidden”

portion 50% divided 25% share 25%
اخذ
ikhdh ʾ-kh-dh

literal: take; taking; seizing

SE rendered مکنونه (mknúnh)قدر (qdr)طلبه (ṭlbh)جهده (jhdh)اخذ (ikhdh)نمايد (nmáyd)حال (ḥál)احدی (iḥdí)بشاطی (bsháṭí)قدسش (qdssh) as “hidden, to the, efforts he hath exerted, partake, no one be, shores, towards its”

هيچ
hích h-y-ch “any”

literal: any

5 occurrences in corpus

نقصی
nqṣí n-q-ṣ

literal: deficient; deficiency; decrease

SE rendered بحر (bḥr)لئالی (lʾálí)کم (km)نقصی (nqṣí)بر (br)وارد (wárd)آيد (áyd)فبئس (fbʾs)توهّمتم (túhhmtm) as “ocean, treasures, lessened, How vain, imaginations”

بلکه
blkh b-l-k

literal: rather/nay

SE rendered موّاج (múmáj)بسی (bsí)نزديک (nzdík)قريب (qríb)بلکه (blkh)اقرب (iqrb)از (iz)حبل (ḥbl)وريد (wríd)بآنی (bání) as “surging, astonishingly near, unto, closer to, of, life-vein, if”

nay 71% practised—nay 14% yea 14%
حبل
ḥbl ḥ-b-l

literal: rope/cord; cord

SE rendered نزديک (nzdík)قريب (qríb)بلکه (blkh)اقرب (iqrb)از (iz)حبل (ḥbl)وريد (wríd)بآنی (bání)فيض (fíḍ)صمدانی (ṣmdání) as “unto, closer to, of, life-vein, if, favor, this God-given grace”

cord 78% firm 8% clung 3% unto 3% tenaciously 3% tie 3% every 3%
فضل
fḍl f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; grace/favor; grace, favor

SE rendered وريد (wríd)بآنی (bání)فيض (fíḍ)صمدانی (ṣmdání)فضل (fḍl)سبحانی (sbḥání)جود (júd)رحمانی (rḥmání)کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz) as “life-vein, if, favor, this God-given grace, glorious bounty”

grace 70% bounty 11% token 5% gracious 4% essence 2% concerning 2% merit 2% divine 2% favors 2% great 2%
سبحانی
sbḥání s-b-ḥ

literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise

SE rendered بآنی (bání)فيض (fíḍ)صمدانی (ṣmdání)فضل (fḍl)سبحانی (sbḥání)جود (júd)رحمانی (rḥmání)کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz) as “if, favor, this God-given grace, glorious bounty”

divine 50% all-glorious 13% kindness 13% god 13% high 13%
جود
júd j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; generosity, bounty

SE rendered فيض (fíḍ)صمدانی (ṣmdání)فضل (fḍl)سبحانی (sbḥání)جود (júd)رحمانی (rḥmání)کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz)ابهائی (ibháʾí)واصل (wáṣl)شويد (shúyd) as “favor, this God-given grace, glorious bounty, reach and partake”

رحمانی
rḥmání r-ḥ-m

literal: mercy; merciful

SE rendered فضل (fḍl)سبحانی (sbḥání)جود (júd)رحمانی (rḥmání)کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz)ابهائی (ibháʾí)واصل (wáṣl)شويد (shúyd) as “glorious bounty, reach and partake”

ابهائی
ibháʾí b-h-ʾ

literal: glory; to; splendor

SE rendered جود (júd)رحمانی (rḥmání)کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz)ابهائی (ibháʾí)واصل (wáṣl)شويد (shúyd)فائز (fáʾz) as “glorious bounty, reach and partake, attain”

glory 50% bahá 13% could 13% splendor 13% glories 13%
گرديد
grdíd g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

SE rendered کرم (krm)عزّ (ʿzz)ابهائی (ibháʾí)واصل (wáṣl)شويد (shúyd)فائز (fáʾz)گرديد (grdíd) as “glorious bounty, reach and partake, attain”

shine 25% thou 25% did 25% hath 25%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

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Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán cover

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶