Kitáb-i-Íqán — §142

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 142 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و مثل اين از حضرت صادق ذکر شده که روزی شخصی از اصحاب در خدمت آن حضرت شکايت از فقر نمود. آن جمال لا يزالی فرمودند که تو غنی هستی و از شراب غنا آشاميده ای. آن فقير از بيان طلعت منير متحيّر شد که چگونه غنيّ هستم که به فلسی محتاجم؟ آن حضرت فرمود: آيا محبّت ما را نداری؟ عرض نمود: بلی، يا ابن رسول اللّه. فرمود: آيا به هزار دينار اين را مبايعه می نمائی؟ عرض نمود که به جميع دنيا و آنچه در آن است نمی دهم. حضرت فرمودند: آيا نفسی که چنين چيزی نزد او باشد که او را به عالم ندهد چگونه فقير است؟

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In like manner, it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions of Sádiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Sádiq, that immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the draught of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I who stand in need of a single coin?” Sádiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the Prophet of God!” And Sádiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it, though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then Sádiq remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”

Translation Notes

مثل

m-th-l

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “him”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

صادق

ṣ-d-q → “truth” Distinctive

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

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

شده

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

روزی

r-w-z → “on a certain day”

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

شخصی

sh-kh-ṣ → “one”

literal: person, individual, self; movement, stirring

اصحاب

ṣ-ḥ-b → “companions”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

خدمت

kh-d-m

literal: service; servitude; to serve

آن

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شکايت

sh-k-w → “complained”

literal: complaint; lamentation; protestation

فقر

f-q-r → “poverty”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

نمود.

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

يزالی

z-w-l → “at all times” Distinctive

literal: cease; to cease; decline

فرمودند

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

تو

t-w-w → “thou”

literal: you

غنی

gh-n-y → “rich”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

هستی

h-s-t → “is”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

شراب

sh-r-b → “draught”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

ای.

ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

بيان

b-y-n → “words”

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

طلعت

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

منير

n-w-r → “luminous”

literal: light; illumination

متحيّر

ḥ-y-r → “perplexed”

literal: bewildered; perplexed; confused; astounded; amazed; bewilderment; perplexity; wonder; amazement

چگونه

ch-g-n → ““How”

literal: how; in what manner

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

فلسی

f-l-s → “coin?””

literal: penny, farthing; coin

محتاجم؟

ḥ-w-j → “need”

literal: need; needy; needs

آيا

ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

محبّت

ḥ-b-b → “love?””

literal: love; affection

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

نداری؟

d-sh-t → “without”

literal: have; to have; had

عرض

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

بلی،

b-l-y → ““Yea”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

ابن

b-n-y → “SON”

literal: son

رسول

r-s-l → “Apostle”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

اللّه.

ʾ-l-h → “God!””

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

هزار

h-z-r → “thousand”

literal: thousand

دينار

d-y-n → “religions” Distinctive

literal: religion; religions; religion, faith

مبايعه

b-y-ʿ → “sell” Distinctive

literal: sale; to sell; to swear allegiance; to pledge; to make covenant

می

m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

دنيا

d-n-w → “world”

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

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

نمی

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

دهم.

d-h-n → “oil” Distinctive

literal: dark; darkness

نفسی

n-f-s → “he” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

چنين

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: such; thus; in this manner; like this

چيزی

ch-y-z → “something”

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

نزد

n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

او

h-w-w

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

عالم

ʿ-l-m

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ندهد

d-h

literal: to give; to grant; not to give

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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