Kitáb-i-Íqán — §205

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 205 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اليوم متغمّسان بحر علوم صمدانی و ساکنان فُلک حکمت ربّانی مردم را از تحصيل اين علوم نهی می فرمايند و صدور منيرشان بحمداللّه منزّه از اين اشارات است و مقدّس از اين حجبات. حجاب اکبر را که می فرمايد : "اَلْعِلمُ حِجابُ الاَکبَر " به نار محبّت يار سوختيم و خيمه ديگر برافراختيم و به اين افتخار می نمائيم که الحمدللّه سبحات جلال را به نار جمال محبوب سوختيم و جز مقصود در قلب و دل جا نداديم نه به علمی جز علم به او متمسّکيم و نه به معلومی جز تجلّی انوار او متشبّث.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In this day, they that are submerged beneath the ocean of ancient Knowledge, and dwell within the ark of divine wisdom, forbid the people such idle pursuits. Their shining breasts are, praise be to God, sanctified from every trace of such learning, and are exalted above such grievous veils. We have consumed this densest of all veils, with the fire of the love of the Beloved—the veil referred to in the saying: “The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge.” Upon its ashes, We have reared the tabernacle of divine knowledge. We have, praise be to God, burned the “veils of glory” with the fire of the beauty of the Best-Beloved. We have driven from the human heart all else but Him Who is the Desire of the world, and glory therein. We cleave to no knowledge but His Knowledge, and set our hearts on naught save the effulgent glories of His light.

Translation Notes

اليوم

y-w-m → “In this day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

متغمّسان

gh-m-s → “immerse” Distinctive

literal: immerse; submerged; immersed

بحر

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

علوم

ʿ-l-m → “ancient Knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

صمدانی

ṣ-m-d

literal: eternal, self-sufficient, divine, the Eternal

ساکنان

s-k-n → “dwell within”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

فُلک

f-l-k → “ark”

literal: ship; ark; orbit; sphere; heaven

حکمت

ḥ-k-m → “divine wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

ربّانی

r-b-b → “divine”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

مردم

m-r-d → “people”

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از

ʾ-z → “from every trace of”

literal: from

تحصيل

ḥ-ṣ-l → “attained” Distinctive

literal: obtained; result; sum

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

نهی

n-h-y → “forbidden”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

می

m-y-y

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

صدور

ṣ-d-r → “shining breasts”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

منيرشان

n-w-r → “light” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination

بحمداللّه

ḥ-m-d → “praise be to God”

literal: praise; to praise

منزّه

n-z-h → “sanctified”

literal: exalted; sanctified; free from; removed from

اشارات

sh-y-r

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

است

b-w-d → “are”

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

مقدّس

q-d-s → “exalted”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

حجبات.

ḥ-j-b → “grievous veils”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

اکبر

k-b-r

literal: liver; soul; essence

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

فرمايد

f-r-m → “referred to in the saying” Distinctive

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

به

b-h → “with” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

نار

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

محبّت

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

يار

y-ʾ-r → “Beloved—the”

literal: friend; companion; loved one (pl. یاران)

سوختيم

s-w-kh → “have consumed”

literal: burn; to burn; burned

خيمه

kh-y-m → “tabernacle”

literal: tent; tabernacle; pavilion; structure; edifice

ديگر

d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

برافراختيم

f-r-kh → “kindled” Distinctive

literal: to kindle; raise; raise, hoist

افتخار

f-kh-r → “glory therein” Distinctive

literal: glory; boasting; pride

نمائيم

n-m-ʾ

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

سبحات

s-b-ḥ → ““veils”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

جلال

j-l-l → “of glory””

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

جز

j-z → “apart from”

literal: except

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Desire”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

قلب

q-l-b → “human heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

دل

d-l

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

جا

j-ʾ-y

literal: place

نداديم

d-ʾ-d → “of equity” Distinctive

literal: give; to give; given

او

h-w-w → “is”

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

متمسّکيم

m-s-k → “We cleave”

literal: hold fast; clinging; cling

تجلّی

j-l-w → “revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

متشبّث.

sh-b-th → “clung” Distinctive

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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160 ¶

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59 ¶