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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §185

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 185 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری هزار و دويست و هشتاد سنه از ظهور نقطه فرقان گذشت و جميع اين همج رعاع در هر صباح تلاوت فرقان نمودهاند و هنوز به حرفی از مقصود فائز نشدند و خود قرائت می کنند بعضی آيات را که صريح بر مطالب قدسيّه و مظاهر عزّ صمديّه است مع ذلک هيچ ادراک ننمودهاند. و اين مدّت اين قدر ادراک نشده که مقصود از تلاوت کتب و قرائت صحف در هر عصری، ادراک معانی آن و بلوغ به معارج اسرار آن بوده و إلّا تلاوت بی معرفت را البتّه فائده کلّی نباشد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Twelve hundred and eighty years have passed since the dawn of the Muhammadan Dispensation, and with every break of day, these blind and ignoble people have recited their Qur’án, and yet have failed to grasp one letter of that Book! Again and again they read those verses which clearly testify to the reality of these holy themes, and bear witness to the truth of the Manifestations of eternal Glory, and still apprehend not their purpose. They have even failed to realize, all this time, that, in every age, the reading of the scriptures and holy books is for no other purpose except to enable the reader to apprehend their meaning and unravel their innermost mysteries. Otherwise reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit unto man.

Translation Notes

باری
bárí b-r-y

literal: in short; in short, anyway

SE rendered باری (bárí)هزار (hzár)دويست (dúyst)هشتاد (hshtád)سنه (snh)از (iz) as “Twelve, hundred, eighty, years, since”

briefly 27% such 13% short 13% resume 7% may 7% even 7% virtue 7% early 7% how 7% now 7%
هشتاد
hshtád h-sh-t “eighty”

literal: eighty; eighth

eighty 50% eighth 50%
نقطه
nqṭh n-q-ṭ

literal: point; point, dot; points

SE rendered دويست (dúyst)هشتاد (hshtád)سنه (snh)از (iz)ظهور (ẓhúr)نقطه (nqṭh)فرقان (frqán)گذشت (gdhsht)جميع (jmíʿ)همج (hmj)رعاع (rʿáʿ) as “hundred, eighty, years, since, dawn of, Muhammadan Dispensation, have passed, these, blind and ignoble”

هر
hr h-r

literal: every; every/each; each

SE rendered گذشت (gdhsht)جميع (jmíʿ)همج (hmj)رعاع (rʿáʿ)هر (hr)صباح (ṣbáḥ)تلاوت (tláwt)فرقان (frqán)نمودهاند (nmúdhánd) as “have passed, these, blind and ignoble, break of day, recited, Qur’án, have”

هنوز
hnúz h-n-w “yet”

literal: still; still, yet

SE rendered صباح (ṣbáḥ)تلاوت (tláwt)فرقان (frqán)نمودهاند (nmúdhánd)هنوز (hnúz)حرفی (ḥrfí)از (iz)مقصود (mqṣúd)فائز (fáʾz)نشدند (nshdnd) as “break of day, recited, Qur’án, have, yet, letter, of, purpose, have failed”

still 67% yet 33%
می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered مقصود (mqṣúd)فائز (fáʾz)نشدند (nshdnd)قرائت (qráʾt)می (mí)کنند (knnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)آيات (áyát)صريح (ṣríḥ)بر (br) as “purpose, have failed, read, verses, to”

3 occurrences in corpus

کنند
knnd k-r-d

literal: do; to do; do, make

SE rendered فائز (fáʾz)نشدند (nshdnd)قرائت (qráʾt)می (mí)کنند (knnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)آيات (áyát)صريح (ṣríḥ)بر (br)مطالب (mṭálb) as “have failed, read, verses, to, reality”

appreciate 14% lead 14% after 14% themselves 14% toward 14% should 14% give 14%
بعضی
bʿḍí b-ʿ-ḍ

literal: some; part; some, part

SE rendered فائز (fáʾz)نشدند (nshdnd)قرائت (qráʾt)می (mí)کنند (knnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)آيات (áyát)صريح (ṣríḥ)بر (br)مطالب (mṭálb) as “have failed, read, verses, to, reality”

some 43% certain 22% few 12% others 10% many 3% who 3% number 3% whenever 1% infrequent 1% there 1%
صريح
ṣríḥ ṣ-r-ḥ

literal: explicit; explicit statement

SE rendered قرائت (qráʾt)می (mí)کنند (knnd)بعضی (bʿḍí)آيات (áyát)صريح (ṣríḥ)بر (br)مطالب (mṭálb)قدسيّه (qdsísh)مظاهر (mẓáhr)عزّ (ʿzz) as “read, verses, to, reality, holy, Manifestations, Glory”

بر
br b-r-r “to”

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered آيات (áyát)صريح (ṣríḥ)بر (br)مطالب (mṭálb)قدسيّه (qdsísh)مظاهر (mẓáhr)عزّ (ʿzz)صمديّه (ṣmdídh) as “verses, to, reality, holy, Manifestations, Glory, eternal”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
هيچ
hích h-y-ch “not”

literal: any

SE rendered مظاهر (mẓáhr)عزّ (ʿzz)صمديّه (ṣmdídh)هيچ (hích)ادراک (idrák)ننمودهاند (nnmúdhánd)مدّت (mddt) as “Manifestations, Glory, eternal, not, apprehend, all this time”

5 occurrences in corpus

قدر
qdr q-d-r

literal: power; powerful

SE rendered ادراک (idrák)ننمودهاند (nnmúdhánd)مدّت (mddt)قدر (qdr)ادراک (idrák)نشده (nshdh)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)تلاوت (tláwt) as “realize, apprehend, all this time, have even failed, purpose, of, reading”

power 23% ordained 18% ordain 17% hath 12% might 8% decreed 6% had 5% do 5% value 4% measure 4%
بی

literal: without

5 occurrences in corpus

البتّه
al-btth b-t-t

literal: certainly; certainly, definitely

SE rendered تلاوت (tláwt)بی (bí)معرفت (mʿrft)البتّه (al-btth)فائده (fáʾdh)کلّی (kllí)نباشد (nbáshd) as “reading, without, understanding, profit, is of no abiding”

کلّی
kllí k-l-l

literal: all; every; all/whole

SE rendered تلاوت (tláwt)بی (bí)معرفت (mʿrft)البتّه (al-btth)فائده (fáʾdh)کلّی (kllí)نباشد (nbáshd) as “reading, without, understanding, profit, is of no abiding”

utterly 50% great 25% entirely 25%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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