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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §111

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 111 of 291.

Source (Persian)

بلی، اين عباد چون از عيون صافيه منيره علوم الهيّه تفاسير کلمات قدسيّه را اخذ ننمودهاند لهذا تشنه و افسرده در وادی ظنون و غفلت سائرند و از بحر عذب فرات مُعرِض شده در حول ملح اُجاج طائف اند. چنانچه در وصف ايشان ورقاء هويّه بيان فرموده: "وَ إن يَرَوا سَبِيلَ الرُّشدِ لا يَتَّخِذُوه سَبيلاً وَ إن يَرَوا سَبيلَ الغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوه سَبيلاً، ذلِکَ بَانَّهُم کَذَّبُوا بآياتنَا وَ کانُوا عَنها غَافِلِينَ." که ترجمه آن اين است: اگر ببينند راه صلاح ورستگاری را، آن را اخذ نمی نمايند و به آن اقبال نمی کنند و امّا اگر راه باطل و طغيان و ضلالت را مشاهده کنند آن را برای خود راه وصول به حقّ قرار دهند. و اين اقبال به باطل و اعراض از حقّ ظاهر نشد، يعنی به اين ضلالت و گمراهی مبتلا نشدند، مگر به جزای آنکه تکذيب کردند آيات ما را و بودند از نزول آيات ما و ظهورات آن غفلت کنندگان.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Yea, inasmuch as the peoples of the world have failed to seek from the luminous and crystal Springs of divine knowledge the inner meaning of God’s holy words, they therefore have languished, stricken and sore athirst, in the vale of idle fancy and waywardness. They have strayed far from the fresh and thirst-subduing waters, and gathered round the salt that burneth bitterly. Concerning them, the Dove of Eternity hath spoken: “And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it for their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they take it. This, because they treated Our signs as lies, and were heedless of them.”

Translation Notes

چون
chún ch-w-n “as”

literal: when; as

SE rendered بلی، (blí،)عباد (ʿbád)چون (chún)از (iz)عيون (ʿíwn)صافيه (ṣáfíh)منيره (mnírh)علوم (ʿlúm)الهيّه (al-híhh) as “Yea, peoples, as, from, Springs, crystal, luminous, knowledge, divine”

“when 20% inasmuch 20% soon 20% “inasmuch 20% even 20%
از

literal: from

SE rendered بلی، (blí،)عباد (ʿbád)چون (chún)از (iz)عيون (ʿíwn)صافيه (ṣáfíh)منيره (mnírh)علوم (ʿlúm)الهيّه (al-híhh) as “Yea, peoples, as, from, Springs, crystal, luminous, knowledge, divine”

23 occurrences in corpus

افسرده
ifsrdh f-s-r-d

literal: extinguished; extinguish

SE rendered اخذ (ikhdh)ننمودهاند (nnmúdhánd)لهذا (lhdhá)تشنه (tshnh)افسرده (ifsrdh)وادی (wádí)ظنون (ẓnún)غفلت (ghflt)سائرند (sáʾrnd) as “seek, failed to, therefore, languished, stricken and sore athirst, vale, fancy, waywardness”

سائرند
sáʾrnd s-y-r

literal: journey; other; conduct

SE rendered وادی (wádí)ظنون (ẓnún)غفلت (ghflt)سائرند (sáʾrnd)از (iz)بحر (bḥr)عذب (ʿdhb)فرات (frát)مُعرِض (muʿriḍ) as “vale, fancy, waywardness, from, waters, fresh, thirst-subduing, strayed”

journeying 14% made 14% moveth 14% character 14% traverse 14% make 14% elsewhere 14%
ملح
mlḥ m-l-ḥ “mariner” Distinctive

literal: mariner; salt, bitter; salt

This form usually rendered as “salt” (4 occurrences)

mariner 40% salt 20% holy 20% sweet 20%
اُجاج

literal: bitter

1 occurrence in corpus

وصف
wṣf w-ṣ-f

literal: attributes; description; attribute

SE rendered اُجاج (ujáj)طائف (ṭáʾf)اند (ind)چنانچه (chnánchh)وصف (wṣf)ايشان (iyshán)ورقاء (wrqáʾ)هويّه (húyyh)بيان (bíán)فرموده (frmúdh) as “burneth bitterly, gathered, Concerning them, them, Dove of, Eternity, spoken”

ايشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh “prophets”

literal: they; they, them; they/them

3 occurrences in corpus

بيان
bíán b-y-n

literal: utterance

SE rendered چنانچه (chnánchh)وصف (wṣf)ايشان (iyshán)ورقاء (wrqáʾ)هويّه (húyyh)بيان (bíán)فرموده (frmúdh)يَرَوا (yarawá)سَبِيلَ (sabíl) as “Concerning them, them, Dove of, Eternity, spoken, see, path”

utterance 65% bayán 8% words 6% divine 4% speech 4% unfold 4% force 2% recount 2% word 2% sayings 2%
بَانَّهُم
bánnahum ʾ-n-n

literal: indeed

SE rendered سَبيلاً، (sabíláan،)بَانَّهُم (bánnahum)کَذَّبُوا (kadhdhabúá)بآياتنَا (báyátná) as “path, treated, signs”

verily 20% indeed 10% knight 10% “for 10% truly 10% reported 10% say 10% who 10% how 10%
کانُوا
kánúá k-w-n

literal: be; was; to be

SE rendered کَذَّبُوا (kadhdhabúá)بآياتنَا (báyátná)کانُوا (kánúá)عَنها (ʿanhá)غَافِلِينَ (gháfilín) as “treated, signs, heedless”

have 40% who 20% joined 10% occupy 10% represented 10% busied 10%
عَنها
ʿanhá ʿ-n-n

literal: from; from/about; about

SE rendered کَذَّبُوا (kadhdhabúá)بآياتنَا (báyátná)کانُوا (kánúá)عَنها (ʿanhá)غَافِلِينَ (gháfilín)ترجمه (trjmh) as “treated, signs, heedless”

above 29% achieving 14% passions 14% time 14% against 14% upon 14%
ترجمه
trjmh t-r-j-m

literal: translation

SE rendered غَافِلِينَ (gháfilín)ترجمه (trjmh) as “heedless”

راه
ráh r-h

literal: path; way; ways, paths

SE rendered ببينند (bbínnd)راه (ráh)صلاح (ṣláḥ)ورستگاری (wrstgárí)اخذ (ikhdh) as “take”

path 25% gain 25% way 25% enter 25%
ضلالت
ḍlált ḍ-l-l

literal: error; error/misguidance; error, misguidance

SE rendered امّا (immá)راه (ráh)باطل (báṭl)طغيان (ṭghíán)ضلالت (ḍlált)مشاهده (msháhdh)کنند (knnd)برای (bráy) as “for”

گمراهی
gmráhí g-m-r

literal: error/going astray

SE rendered ضلالت (ḍlált)گمراهی (gmráhí)مبتلا (mbtlá)نشدند، (nshdnd،)مگر (mgr)جزای (jzáy)آنکه (ánkh) as “because”

waywardness 50% err 50%
مبتلا
mbtlá b-l-w

literal: affliction

SE rendered ضلالت (ḍlált)گمراهی (gmráhí)مبتلا (mbtlá)نشدند، (nshdnd،)مگر (mgr)جزای (jzáy)آنکه (ánkh)تکذيب (tkdhíb) as “because, as lies”

مگر
mgr m-g-r

literal: except; except/unless

SE rendered مگر (mgr)جزای (jzáy)آنکه (ánkh)تکذيب (tkdhíb) as “because, as lies”

save 50% other 50%
جزای
jzáy j-z-y

literal: reward; retribution; recompense, reward

SE rendered جزای (jzáy)آنکه (ánkh)تکذيب (tkdhíb)کردند (krdnd)آيات (áyát) as “because, as lies”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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