Gleanings — §704

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 704 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

إنّ الحرّيّة تنتهي عواقبها إلى الفتنة الّتي لا تخمد نارها كذلك يخبركم المحصي العليم فاعلموا أنّ مطالع الحرّيّة ومظاهرها هي الحيوان وللإنسان ينبغي أن يكون تحت سنن تحفظه عن جهل نفسه وضرّ الماكرين إنّ الحرّيّة تُخرج الإنسان عن شئون الأدب والوقار وتجعله من الأرذلين

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench. Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness.

Translation Notes

إنّ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الحرّيّة

ḥ-r-r → “Liberty”

literal: to set free; to write down; to compose; حرارة (heat) is from ح-ر-ر but distinct semantic development from ‘free/write’

تنتهي

n-h-y → “must, in the end, lead”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final

عواقبها

ʿ-q-b → “retribution” Distinctive

literal: outcome; end; result; consequence

إلى

ʾ-l-y → “to”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

الفتنة

f-t-n → “sedition”

literal: trial; tribulation; temptation; sedition; discord; strife

الّتي

literal: who; which/that; which

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تخمد

kh-m-d → “quench”

literal: to extinguish, quench, suppress

نارها

n-ʾ-r → “flames”

literal: light; illumination

كذلك

dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

يخبركم

kh-b-r → “warneth you”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

المحصي

ḥ-ṣ-y → “Reckoner”

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

العليم

ʿ-l-m → “All-Knowing”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

مطالع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

ومظاهرها

ẓ-h-r → “symbol”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

هي

h-w-y → “is” Distinctive

literal: He; He is

الحيوان

ḥ-y-w → “life”

literal: life; living being; animal

وللإنسان

ʾ-n-s → “man”

literal: human; mankind; of humanity

ينبغي

n-b-gh → “beseemeth”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

يكون

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

تحت

literal: under; under, beneath; beneath

سنن

s-n-n → “years” Distinctive

literal: arrow; pointed weapon; spear-point; edge

تحفظه

ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

عن

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

جهل

j-h-l → “ignorance”

literal: ignorant; foolish; the ignorant ones

نفسه

n-f-s → “his own” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وضرّ

ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

الماكرين

m-k-r → “device” Distinctive

literal: to scheme; to plot; deceit

تُخرج

kh-r-j → “banished” Distinctive

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

الإنسان

literal: human; mankind; of humanity

شئون

sh-ʾ-n → “station” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

الأدب

literal: admonition; discipline; etiquette; courtesy

والوقار

w-q-r → “his poise and dignity”

literal: dignity; gravity; composure; stateliness

وتجعله

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

من

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

الأرذلين

r-dh-l → “meanest” Distinctive

literal: lowest; meanest; basest/vilest

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