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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §179

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 179 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين نغمه جمال ازلی، حسين بن عليّ را ادراک نما که به سلمان می فرمايد که مضمون آن اين است: بودم با الف آدم که فاصله هر آدم به آدم بعد خمسين الف سنه بود و با هر يک ولايت پدرم را عرض نمودم. و تفصيلی ذکر می فرمايد تا آنکه می فرمايد: الف مرّه جهاد نمودم در سبيل الهی که اصغر و کوچک تر ازهمه مثل غزوه خيبر بود که پدرم با کفّار محاربه و مجادله نمود. حال اسرار ختم و رجع و لا اوّليّت و لا آخريّت صنع، همه را از اين دو روايت ادراک فرما.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Likewise, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of the melody of that eternal beauty, Husayn, son of ‘Alí, who, addressing Salmán, spoke words such as these: “I was with a thousand Adams, the interval between each and the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to each one of these I declared the Successorship conferred upon my father.” He then recounteth certain details, until he saith: “I have fought one thousand battles in the path of God, the least and most insignificant of which was like the battle of Khaybar, in which battle my father fought and contended against the infidels.” Endeavour now to apprehend from these two traditions the mysteries of “end,” “return,” and “creation without beginning or end.”

Translation Notes

همچنين

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

نغمه

literal: melody; tone; note

جمال

literal: beauty; comeliness

ازلی،

literal: eternity; pre-eternity; without beginning; eternal; everlasting; from eternity

حسين

literal: best; Husayn; beautiful

بن

literal: that; in that; because

عليّ

literal: highest; most high; supreme

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

ادراک

literal: veiling; concealment

نما

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

که

literal: that; who; who, that

به

literal: by it; by him; with it

سلمان

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

می

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

فرمايد
f-r-m “spoke” Distinctive

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

مضمون

literal: content; substance; to contain; to imply

آن

literal: that; those; he; she; it

اين

literal: this; these

بودم

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

با

literal: to; with; by

الف

literal: word; expression; utterance; to reconcile; to compose; to compile; to unite

فاصله
f-ṣ-l “separated” Distinctive

literal: detail; distinction; differentiation; to detail; to separate

هر

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

بعد

literal: after; behind; distance

خمسين

literal: five; fifty

سنه

literal: year; way; tradition; custom

يک

literal: one; a single

ولايت
w-l-y “loved ones” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally

پدرم
p-d-r “fathers” Distinctive

literal: father; paternal

عرض
ʿ-r-ḍ “turned away” Distinctive

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

نمودم.

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

ذکر

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

تا

literal: so that/until

مرّه

literal: to pass; to pass by; to go

جهاد
j-h-d “Strive” Distinctive

literal: effort; striving; exertion; endeavor

در

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سبيل

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

الهی

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

اصغر
ṣ-gh-r “young” Distinctive

literal: smallness; insignificance; youth; to belittle

کوچک

literal: small, little, insignificant; small; little; diminished

تر

literal: more (comparative suffix)

مثل
m-th-l “like” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

غزوه
gh-z-w “war” Distinctive

literal: warfare; beginning; battle

خيبر

literal: news; inform; informed

کفّار

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

محاربه
ḥ-r-b “contended” Distinctive

literal: warfare; combat; fighting; hostility

مجادله
j-d-l “conflict” Distinctive

literal: to argue; to dispute; to contend; argument

حال

literal: state; condition; circumstance

اسرار

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

ختم
kh-t-m ““end,”” Distinctive

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

رجع

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

لا

literal: no; not; negation particle

اوّليّت

literal: first; firstness; beginning

آخريّت

literal: lastness; end; finally

صنع،

literal: fashioning; making; creation; artifice

همه

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

از

literal: from

دو

literal: two; run; running

روايت

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

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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