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Kitáb-i-'Ahd — §10

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 10 of 16.

Source (Persian)

وصيّت اللّه آنکه بايد اغصان و افنان و منتسبين طرّا بغصن اعظم ناظر باشند * أُنْظُرُوا مَا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِی کِتَابِي الأَقْدَس * إذا غيض بحر الوصال و قضي کتاب المبدأ فی المآل توجّهوا إلی من أراده اللّه الّذی انشعب من هذا الأصل القديم * مقصود از اين آيه مبارکه غصن أعظم بوده *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghṣán, the Afnán and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: \‘When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch [‘Abdu’l-Bahá].

Translation Notes

وصيّت
w-ṣ-y → “testaments”

literal: counsel; commandment; bequest; will; testament; admonition; command

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “the divine Testator”

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

آنکه
ʾ-n → “is this”

literal: that; indeed; that, to

بايد
b-y-d → “is incumbent” Distinctive

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

اغصان
gh-ṣ-n → “Aghṣán”

literal: branch; twig

افنان
f-n-n → “Afnán”

literal: twigs; branches

منتسبين
n-s-b → “relationship” Distinctive

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

طرّا
ṭ-r-r → “one and all”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

اعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

ناظر
n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

باشند
b-w-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist; to remain

مَا
m-ʾ → “that”

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

أَنْزَلْنَاهُ
n-z-l → “have revealed”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

فِی
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

کِتَابِي
k-t-b → “Our Most Holy Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

الأَقْدَس
q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

إذا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

غيض
gh-y-ḍ → “hath ebbed”

literal: ocean; vast sea; lion

بحر
b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

الوصال
w-ṣ-l → “of My presence”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

قضي
q-ḍ-y → “decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

کتاب
k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

المبدأ
b-d-ʾ → “Source”

literal: beginning; primacy; originality; origin; principle; starting point; commencement; start; inception; creation

المآل
ʾ-w-l

literal: hope; wish; desire; aspiration

توجّهوا
w-j-h → “turn your faces” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إلی
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

من
m-n → “Him Whom” Distinctive

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

أراده
r-w-d → “hath purposed” Distinctive

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

الّذی
l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

انشعب
sh-ʿ-b → “hath branched”

literal: branching off, issuing forth, emanating from

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الأصل
ʾ-ṣ-l → “essence”

literal: root, origin, principle, foundation

القديم
q-d-m → “Ancient”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

مقصود
q-ṣ-d → “object” Distinctive

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

اين
ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

آيه
ʾ-y-y → “sacred verse”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

مبارکه
b-r-k

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-'Ahd

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