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Gleanings — §82

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 82 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

قل إنّا أنزلنا من جهة العرش مآء البيان لينبت به من قلوبكم نبتات الحكمة والتبيان أفلا تشكرون إنّ الّذين استنكفوا عن عبادة ربّهم أولئك قوم مدحضون وإذا تتلى عليهم الآيات يصرّون مستكبرين وَيُصِرُّونَ عَلَى الحِنْثِ ولا يشعرون والّذين كفروا اُولئك في ظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ قد أتت السّاعة وهم يلعبون قد أُخِذُوا بناصيتهم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth from the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful? They who disdain to worship their Lord shall be of those who are cast off. And oft as Our verses are rehearsed unto them, they persist in proud disdain, and in their gross violation of His law, and know it not. As for them who have disbelieved in Him, they shall be in the shadow of a black smoke. “The Hour” hath come upon them, while they are disporting themselves. They have been seized by their forelock, and yet know it not.

Translation Notes

قل
q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

إنّا
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أنزلنا
n-z-l → “have caused”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

من
m-n → “from”

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

جهة
j-h-h → “side” Distinctive

literal: direction; side; way; quarter; aspect

العرش
ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

مآء
m-w-h → “water”

literal: water; shelter; refuge; dwelling; abode; essence

البيان
b-y-n → “Divine utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

لينبت
n-b-t → “bringeth forth” Distinctive

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

قلوبكم
q-l-b → “your hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

الحكمة
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

أفلا
b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

تشكرون
sh-k-r → “be thankful”

literal: thankfulness, gratitude; to give thanks, be grateful; manifest; evident; apparent; clear

الّذين
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

استنكفوا
n-k-f → “disdain”

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp

عن
ʿ-n → “to”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

عبادة
ʿ-b-d → “worship” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

ربّهم
r-b-b → “their Lord”

literal: divine; of God; lordly

أولئك
ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

قوم
q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

مدحضون
d-ḥ-ḍ → “outcast”

literal: null; void; invalid

وإذا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

تتلى
t-l-w → “are rehearsed”

literal: to recite; to read; to follow

عليهم
ʿ-l-y → “unto them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

الآيات
ʾ-y-y → “Our verses”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof

يصرّون
ṣ-r-r → “voice” Distinctive

literal: creaking; insistence; persists

مستكبرين
k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الحِنْثِ
ḥ-n-th → “of His law”

literal: sin/violation

ولا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

يشعرون
sh-ʿ-r

literal: hair

كفروا
k-f-r → “have disbelieved”

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject

في
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

ظِلٍّ
ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

يَحْمُومٍ
ḥ-m-m → “Doves” Distinctive

literal: dove; doves; arrived/decreed

قد
q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

أتت
ʾ-t-y → “come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to bring; to go; coming; arrival; the one coming; to give; Revelation; came; gave; brought

السّاعة
s-w-ʿ → ““The Hour”” Distinctive

literal: hour; moment

وهم
w-h-m → “vain imaginings”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

يلعبون
l-ʿ-b → “disportest” Distinctive

literal: to play; to sport; to jest

أُخِذُوا
ʾ-kh-dh → “seized”

literal: take; take/seize; seize

بناصيتهم
n-ṣ-y → “by their forelock”

literal: forelock; front of head; prominent position

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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