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Gleanings — §685

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 685 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ای بندگان اگر از بدايع جود و فضلم که در نفس شما وديعه گذارده‌ام مطّلع شويد البتّه از جميع جهات منقطع شده بمعرفت نفس خود که نفس معرفت من است پی بريد و از دون من خود را مستغنی بينيد و طمطام عنايت و قمقام مکرمتم را در خود بچشم ظاهر و باطن چون شمس مُشرقه از اسم ابهئيّه ظاهر و مشهود بينيد اين مقام امنع اقدس را بمشتهيات ظنون و هوی و افکيّات وهم و عمی ضايع مگذاريد مَثَل شما مِثل طيری است که باجنحه منيعه در کمال روح و ريحان در هواهای خوش سبحان با نهايت اطمينان طيران نمايد و بعد بگمان دانه بآب و گل ارض ميل نمايد و بحرص تمام خود را بآب و تراب بيالايد و بعد که اراده صعود نمايد خود را عاجز و مقهور مشاهده نمايد چه که اجنحه آلوده بآب و گل قادر بر طيران نبوده و نخواهد بود در اين وقت آن طاير سماء عاليه خود را ساکن ارض فانيه بيند حال ای عباد پرهای خود را بطين غفلت و ظنون و تراب غلّ و بغضا ميالائيد تا از طيران در آسمانهای قدس عرفان محروم و ممنوع نمانيد

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves — a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station. Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.

Translation Notes

از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered بندگان (bndgán)از (iz)بدايع (bdáyʿ)جود (júd)فضلم (fḍlm)نفس (nfs) as “servants, wonders, munificence, bounty, souls”

23 occurrences in corpus

جهات
jhát j-h-t

literal: direction; directions

SE rendered مطّلع (mṭṭlʿ)شويد (shúyd)البتّه (al-btth)از (iz)جميع (jmíʿ)جهات (jhát)منقطع (mnqṭʿ)بمعرفت (bmʿrft)نفس (nfs) as “apprehend, ye, of a truth, all, rid yourselves of attachment, knowledge, selves”

side 56% country 11% regions 11% direction 11% things 11%
پی
p-y

literal: trace; pursuit; trace, awareness

SE rendered نفس (nfs)نفس (nfs)معرفت (mʿrft)پی (pí)بريد (bríd)از (iz)دون (dún)مستغنی (mstghní) as “knowledge, comprehension, but, independent”

discover 50% unravel 50%
بريد
bríd b-r-d

literal: brother; take; coldness

SE rendered نفس (nfs)معرفت (mʿrft)پی (pí)بريد (bríd)از (iz)دون (dún)مستغنی (mstghní) as “knowledge, comprehension, but, independent”

inhale 50% felled 50%
دون
dún d-w-n “but”

literal: besides; without

SE rendered نفس (nfs)معرفت (mʿrft)پی (pí)بريد (bríd)از (iz)دون (dún)مستغنی (mstghní)بينيد (bíníd)طمطام (ṭmṭám) as “knowledge, comprehension, but, independent, perceive, seas”

without 31% except 10% others 10% all 10% none 7% else 7% through 7% nothing 7% withheld 7% comprehension 3%
باطن
báṭn b-ṭ-n

literal: inward; inner

SE rendered مکرمتم (mkrmtm)بچشم (bchshm)ظاهر (ẓáhr)باطن (báṭn)چون (chún)شمس (shms)مُشرقه (mushrqh)از (iz)اسم (ism) as “moving within, inner and outer eye, manifest, effulgent, Name”

چون
chún ch-w-n

literal: when; as

SE rendered بچشم (bchshm)ظاهر (ẓáhr)باطن (báṭn)چون (chún)شمس (shms)مُشرقه (mushrqh)از (iz)اسم (ism)ابهئيّه (ibhʾíʾh)ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “inner and outer eye, revelation, effulgent, Name”

“when 20% inasmuch 20% soon 20% “inasmuch 20% even 20%
شمس
shms sh-m-s

literal: sun; suns; the sun

SE rendered بچشم (bchshm)ظاهر (ẓáhr)باطن (báṭn)چون (chún)شمس (shms)مُشرقه (mushrqh)از (iz)اسم (ism)ابهئيّه (ibhʾíʾh)ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “inner and outer eye, revelation, effulgent, Name”

مشهود
mshhúd sh-h-d

literal: witness; witnessed

SE rendered مُشرقه (mushrqh)از (iz)اسم (ism)ابهئيّه (ibhʾíʾh)ظاهر (ẓáhr)مشهود (mshhúd)بينيد (bíníd)مقام (mqám)امنع (imnʿ)اقدس (iqds) as “effulgent, Name, revelation, station, lofty”

بمشتهيات
bmshthíát sh-h-w “desires” Distinctive

literal: desire; desires, lusts; desires

This form usually rendered as “fancies”, “vanities” (3 occurrences)

fancies 50% vanities 50%
ظنون
ẓnún ẓ-n-n

literal: conjecture; think; suppositions

SE rendered مقام (mqám)امنع (imnʿ)اقدس (iqds)بمشتهيات (bmshthíát)ظنون (ẓnún)هوی (húy)افکيّات (ifkíkát)وهم (whm)عمی (ʿmí) as “station, lofty, fancies, passions, insincerity, blindness of heart”

افکيّات
ifkíkát ʾ-f-k “false” Distinctive

literal: falsehood

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

وهم
whm w-h-m

literal: fancy

SE rendered بمشتهيات (bmshthíát)ظنون (ẓnún)هوی (húy)افکيّات (ifkíkát)وهم (whm)عمی (ʿmí)ضايع (ḍáyʿ)مگذاريد (mgdháríd)مَثَل (mathal) as “fancies, passions, insincerity, blindness of heart, dim the luster, or stain, Suffer not”

fancy 33% idle 17% vain 17% imaginings 17% doubt 17%
ضايع
ḍáyʿ ḍ-y-ʿ “extermination” Distinctive

literal: destruction; lost; wasted

This form usually rendered as “perish” (2 occurrences)

خوش
khúsh kh-w-sh

literal: pleasant; pleasant, sweet

SE rendered کمال (kmál)روح (rúḥ)ريحان (ríḥán)هواهای (húáháy)خوش (khúsh)سبحان (sbḥán)نهايت (nháyt)اطمينان (iṭmínán)طيران (ṭírán) as “full, force, joyous, the realms, divine, complete, confidence, soareth”

sweet 43% blessed 14% blissful 14% well 14% pleasant 14%
بگمان
bgmán g-m-n

literal: think

SE rendered اطمينان (iṭmínán)طيران (ṭírán)نمايد (nmáyd)بگمان (bgmán)دانه (dánh)بآب (báb)گل (gl)ارض (irḍ)ميل (míl)نمايد (nmáyd) as “confidence, soareth, may, water, clay, earth, longingly”

think 43% hath 14% methinks 14% idle 14% believing 14%
دانه
dánh d-ʾ-n

literal: know; to know; knowledge

SE rendered اطمينان (iṭmínán)طيران (ṭírán)نمايد (nmáyd)بگمان (bgmán)دانه (dánh)بآب (báb)گل (gl)ارض (irḍ)ميل (míl)نمايد (nmáyd) as “confidence, soareth, may, water, clay, earth, longingly”

ميل

literal: inclination; inclination, desire; inclination/desire

5 occurrences in corpus

بحرص
bḥrṣ ḥ-r-ṣ

literal: greed; greedy; greed/covetousness

SE rendered بآب (báb)گل (gl)ارض (irḍ)ميل (míl)نمايد (nmáyd)بحرص (bḥrṣ)تمام (tmám)بآب (báb)تراب (tráb) as “water, clay, earth, longingly, all, dust”

greed 33% vain 33% put 33%
چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered عاجز (ʿájz)مقهور (mqhúr)مشاهده (msháhdh)نمايد (nmáyd)چه (chh)اجنحه (ijnḥh)آلوده (álúdh)بآب (báb) as “impotent, Powerless, wings, sullied”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
آلوده
álúdh ʾ-l-w-d “defiled”

literal: defiled

2 occurrences in corpus

قادر
qádr q-d-r

literal: power; powerful

SE rendered اجنحه (ijnḥh)آلوده (álúdh)بآب (báb)گل (gl)قادر (qádr)بر (br)طيران (ṭírán)نبوده (nbúdh) as “wings, sullied, upon, are”

almighty 12% potent 12% can 12% all-powerful 12% able 12% powerless 12% power 8% could 8% powerful 8% capable 4%
نخواهد
nkhúáhd kh-w-h

literal: will; to want/will

SE rendered گل (gl)قادر (qádr)بر (br)طيران (ṭírán)نبوده (nbúdh)نخواهد (nkhúáhd)وقت (wqt)طاير (ṭáyr)سماء (smáʾ) as “upon, are, bird, heavens”

will 75% shall 25%
وقت
wqt w-q-t

literal: time; appointed time; times

SE rendered نبوده (nbúdh)نخواهد (nkhúáhd)وقت (wqt)طاير (ṭáyr)سماء (smáʾ)عاليه (ʿálíh)ساکن (sákn) as “are, bird, heavens, dwelling-place”

time 38% hour 25% ages 6% moment 6% days 6% age 6% what 6% chance 6%
فانيه
fáníh f-n-y

literal: perish; perishing

SE rendered سماء (smáʾ)عاليه (ʿálíh)ساکن (sákn)ارض (irḍ)فانيه (fáníh)بيند (bínd)حال (ḥál)عباد (ʿbád)پرهای (prháy) as “heavens, dwelling-place, now, servants, wings”

بيند
bínd b-y-n

literal: utterance; explanation; between

SE rendered عاليه (ʿálíh)ساکن (sákn)ارض (irḍ)فانيه (fáníh)بيند (bínd)حال (ḥál)عباد (ʿbád)پرهای (prháy)بطين (bṭín) as “heavens, dwelling-place, now, servants, wings, clay”

پرهای
prháy p-r “wings”

literal: feather; flying; full

5 occurrences in corpus

ميالائيد
míáláʾíd ʾ-l-y “until”

literal: until, to

3 occurrences in corpus

نمانيد
nmáníd m-n “my”

literal: from; who; from/of

SE rendered عرفان (ʿrfán)محروم (mḥrúm)ممنوع (mmnúʿ)نمانيد (nmáníd) as “knowledge, hindered”

whosoever 20% above 14% all 14% others 11% who 9% such 9% man 6% amongst 6% whoso 6% unto 6%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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59 ¶