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Gleanings — §716

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 716 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قلم اعلی در کلّ احیان بکمال روح و ریحان اولیای حقّ را ذکر نموده و متذکّر داشته طوبی از برای نفسی که شئونات مختلفهٴ دنیا او را از مطلع نور توحید منع ننموده باستقامت تمام باسم قیّوم از رحیق مختوم آشامیده انّه من اهل الفردوس فی کتاب الله ربّ العالمین...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Pen of the Most High hath, at all times and under all conditions, remembered, with joy and tenderness, His loved ones, and hath counseled them to follow in His way. Well is it with him whom the changes and chances of this world have failed to deter from recognizing the Dayspring of the Unity of God, who hath quaffed, with unswerving resolve, and in the name of the Self-Subsisting, the sealed wine of His Revelation. Such a man shall be numbered with the inmates of Paradise, in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Translation Notes

قلم
q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

اعلی
ʿ-l-w → “Most High”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کلّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

احیان
ḥ-y-n → “times”

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

بکمال
k-m-l → “with” Distinctive

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

روح
r-w-ḥ → “joy” Distinctive

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

اولیای
w-l-y → “loved ones”

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “His” Distinctive

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

ذکر
dh-k-r → “remembered” Distinctive

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

نموده
n-m-ود → “hath”

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

داشته
d-sh-t

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

طوبی
ṭ-w-b → “Well is it”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

برای
b-r-y → “with” Distinctive

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

نفسی
n-f-s → “him” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

شئونات
sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise” Distinctive

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

مختلفهٴ
kh-l-f

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

دنیا
d-n-w → “this world”

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

او
h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

مطلع
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

نور
n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

توحید
w-ḥ-d → “Unity”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

منع
m-n-ʿ → “failed to deter” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

ننموده
n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

باستقامت
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

تمام
t-m-m → “all”

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

باسم
s-m-w → “in the name”

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

رحیق
r-ḥ-q → “wine”

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

مختوم
kh-t-m → “sealed”

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

آشامیده
sh-r-b → “quaffed” Distinctive

literal: to drink; to imbibe

انّه
ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

من
m-n

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

اهل
ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

الفردوس
f-r-d-w-s → “Paradise”

literal: Paradise; garden; the highest paradise

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

کتاب
k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

الله
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ربّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العالمین...
ʿ-l-m → “worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶
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50 ¶
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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 ¶
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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 ¶
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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.

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17 ¶
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160 ¶
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59 ¶