Kitáb-i-Íqán — §164

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 164 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری، اين مطلب واضح است که بدون تغيير و تبديل الهی محال است اين قسم آثار و افعال که به هيچ وجه شباهت به آثار و افعال قبل ندارد از ايشان ظاهر شود و در عرصه کون بوجود آيد. چنانچه اضطرابشان به اطمينان تبديل می شد و ظنّ به يقين تغيير می يافت و خوف به جرئت مبادله می گشت. اين است شأن اکسير الهی که در يک حين عباد را تقليب می فرمايد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

It is evident that nothing short of this mystic transformation could cause such spirit and behaviour, so utterly unlike their previous habits and manners, to be made manifest in the world of being. For their agitation was turned into peace, their doubt into certitude, their timidity into courage. Such is the potency of the Divine Elixir, which, swift as the twinkling of an eye, transmuteth the souls of men!

Translation Notes

باری،

b-r-y

literal: well; cistern; pit

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مطلب

ṭ-l-b

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

واضح

w-ḍ-ḥ → “evident”

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

است

b-w-d → “is”

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

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

بدون

d-w-n → “except Thee” Distinctive

literal: without; apart from; besides

تغيير

gh-y-r → “transformation”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

تبديل

b-d-l → “was turned” Distinctive

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah

محال

ḥ-l-l

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

قسم

q-s-m

literal: oath; division; kind; type

آثار

ʾ-th-r → “signs”

literal: effect; trace; influence; imprint; sign; mark; vestige

افعال

f-ʿ-l

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

به

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

هيچ

h-y-ch

literal: nothing; any; not a single

وجه

w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

شباهت

sh-b-h → “so utterly unlike”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

قبل

q-b-l → “previous” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

ندارد

d-ʾ-r

literal: below; lower than; beneath

از

ʾ-z

literal: from

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

شود

sh-w-d → “be made”

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

عرصه

ʿ-r-ṣ

literal: arena; field; space; open place

کون

k-w-n → “be”

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

بوجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

آيد.

ʾ-y-d

literal: come; support; may aid

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

اضطرابشان

ḍ-ṭ-r-b → “dismayed” Distinctive

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

اطمينان

ṭ-m-n → “confidence”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

می

m-y-y

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

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

ظنّ

ẓ-n-n → “doubt”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

يقين

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction

يافت

y-f-t

literal: find; found; to find, to attain

خوف

kh-w-f → “fear”

literal: to fear; to be afraid; fear

جرئت

j-r-ʾ → “courage”

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

گشت.

g-sh-t

literal: to become; to turn; to be

شأن

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise”

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

اکسير

إكسير (non-Arabic) → “Elixir”

literal: breaking; ravening; destructive

يک

y-k

literal: one; a single

حين

ḥ-y-n → “moment”

literal: time; moment; while; season

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper