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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; briefly; in short, anyway

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

briefly 46% now 12% meanwhile 8% such 8% short 8% brief 4% resume 4% may 4% even 4% inasmuch 4%
هشتاد
hshtád h-sh-t → “eighty”

literal: eighth; eighty

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”

point 59% primal 18% who 3% center 3% mover 3% “point 3% one 3% different 3% focal 3% realms 3%
هر
hr h-r

literal: every; each; every/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 hnúz → “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%
کنند
knnd krdn

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”

would 20% appreciate 10% witnessed 10% vainly 10% toward 10% should 10% uttered 10% give 10% indulge 10%
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 41% certain 24% few 12% others 11% many 3% who 3% number 3% several 1% whenever 1% other 1%
صريح
ṣríḥ ṣ-r-ḥ

literal: explicit; clear, explicit

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”

هيچ
hích hích → “not”

literal: any, none; 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”

any 67% ever 33%
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”

hath 21% ordain 18% power 16% ordained 11% how 7% do 7% might 6% decreed 5% had 4% according 4%
کلّی
kllí k-l-l

literal: all; all, every

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”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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