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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §23

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 23 of 291.

Source (Persian)

حيف است که انسان از اين عطيّه لطيفه خود را منع نمايد و از اين نعمت باقيه و حيات دائمه خود را محروم سازد. پس قدر اين مائده معنوی را دانسته که بلکه از الطاف بديعه آن شمس حقيقی اجسادهای مرده حيات تازه يابند و ارواح پژمرده به روح بی اندازه فائز شوند. ای برادر من، جهدی بايد تا ايّام باقی است از اکواب باقی چشيم. هميشه نسيم جان از مصر جانان نوزد و هميشه نهرهای تبيان در جريان نه و مدام ابواب رضوان مفتوح نماند. آيد وقتی که عندليبان جنان از گلستان قدسی به آشيان های الهی پرواز نمايند، ديگر نه نغمه بلبل شنوی و نه جمال گل بينی. پس تا حمامه ازلی در شور و تغنّی است و بهار الهی در جلوه و تزيين غنيمت شمرده گوش قلب را از سروش او بی بهره مکن. اين است نصيحت اين عبد آن جناب و احبّای خدا را. فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُقْبِلْ و مَن شَاءَ فَليُعْرِض. إنَّ اللّهَ کانَ غَنيّاً عَنهُ و عَمّا يُشاهَدُ وَ يُرَی.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift, this imperishable bounty, this everlasting life. It behooveth him to prize this food that cometh from heaven, that perchance, through the wondrous favours of the Sun of Truth, the dead may be brought to life, and withered souls be quickened by the infinite Spirit. Make haste, O my brother, that while there is yet time our lips may taste of the immortal draught, for the breeze of life, now blowing from the city of the Well-Beloved, cannot last, and the streaming river of holy utterance must needs be stilled, and the portals of the Ridván cannot for ever remain open. The day will surely come when the Nightingale of Paradise will have winged its flight away from its earthly abode unto its heavenly nest. Then will its melody be heard no more, and the beauty of the rose cease to shine. Seize the time, therefore, ere the glory of the divine springtime hath spent itself, and the Bird of Eternity ceased to warble its melody, that thy inner hearing may not be deprived of hearkening unto its call. This is My counsel unto thee and unto the beloved of God. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. God, verily, is independent of him and of that which he may see and witness.

Translation Notes

محروم
mḥrúm ḥ-r-m

literal: deprived; deprive

SE rendered نعمت (nʿmt)باقيه (báqíh)حيات (ḥíát)دائمه (dáʾmh)محروم (mḥrúm)سازد (sázd)پس (ps)قدر (qdr)مائده (máʾdh) as “this imperishable, life, this everlasting, prize, food”

سازد
sázd s-ʾ-z

literal: make; make/construct; to make

SE rendered حيات (ḥíát)دائمه (dáʾmh)محروم (mḥrúm)سازد (sázd)پس (ps)قدر (qdr)مائده (máʾdh) as “life, this everlasting, prize, food”

معنوی
mʿnúy ʿ-n-y

literal: care; meaning; meanings

SE rendered قدر (qdr)مائده (máʾdh)معنوی (mʿnúy)دانسته (dánsth)بلکه (blkh)از (iz)الطاف (aṭ-ṭáf) as “prize, food, perchance, through the, favours”

spiritual 33% mystic 33% invisible 11% heavenly 11% birds 11%
دانسته
dánsth d-ʾ-n

literal: know; to know; knowledge

SE rendered قدر (qdr)مائده (máʾdh)معنوی (mʿnúy)دانسته (dánsth)بلکه (blkh)از (iz)الطاف (aṭ-ṭáf)بديعه (bdíʿh)شمس (shms)حقيقی (ḥqíqí) as “prize, food, perchance, through the, favours, wondrous, the Sun of Truth”

تازه
tázh t-ʾ-z

literal: fresh; fresh, new; fresh/new

SE rendered شمس (shms)حقيقی (ḥqíqí)اجسادهای (ijsádháy)مرده (mrdh)حيات (ḥíát)تازه (tázh)يابند (yábnd)ارواح (irúáḥ)پژمرده (pzhmrdh)روح (rúḥ) as “the Sun of Truth, the dead, life, souls, withered, the infinite Spirit”

fresh 20% refresh 20% life 20% new 20% anew 20%
يابند
yábnd y-ʾ-b

literal: find; to find; finds

SE rendered شمس (shms)حقيقی (ḥqíqí)اجسادهای (ijsádháy)مرده (mrdh)حيات (ḥíát)تازه (tázh)يابند (yábnd)ارواح (irúáḥ)پژمرده (pzhmrdh)روح (rúḥ) as “the Sun of Truth, the dead, life, souls, withered, the infinite Spirit”

may 50% find 50%
بی
b-y

literal: without; is; to

SE rendered ارواح (irúáḥ)پژمرده (pzhmrdh)روح (rúḥ)بی (bí)اندازه (indázh)فائز (fáʾz)شوند (shúnd)برادر (brádr) as “souls, withered, the infinite Spirit, quickened, brother”

5 occurrences in corpus

اندازه
indázh ʾ-n-d-z

literal: throw; overthrow; measure

SE rendered ارواح (irúáḥ)پژمرده (pzhmrdh)روح (rúḥ)بی (bí)اندازه (indázh)فائز (fáʾz)شوند (shúnd)برادر (brádr) as “souls, withered, the infinite Spirit, quickened, brother”

thou 50% banish 50%
اکواب
ikúáb k-w-b “gallon-measure” Distinctive

literal: gallon-measure; chalices

This form usually rendered as “chalice” (1 occurrences)

چشيم
chshím ch-sh “tasted”

literal: taste; to taste

tasted 50% taste 50%
هميشه
hmíshh h-m-sh

literal: always, continually

SE rendered باقی (báqí)از (iz)اکواب (ikúáb)باقی (báqí)چشيم (chshím)هميشه (hmíshh)نسيم (nsím)جان (ján)از (iz)مصر (mṣr)جانان (jánán)نوزد (núzd) as “while there is yet, from, the immortal draught, taste, breeze, life, the city of the Well-Beloved, blowing”

continually 25% every 25% all 25% time 25%
جريان
jríán j-r-y

literal: flowing; flow; to flow

SE rendered نوزد (núzd)هميشه (hmíshh)نهرهای (nhrháy)تبيان (tbíán)جريان (jríán)نه (nh)مدام (mdám)ابواب (ibúáb)رضوان (rḍúán)مفتوح (mftúḥ)نماند (nmánd) as “blowing, the streaming river, utterance, the portals, Ridván, cannot for ever remain open”

flow 33% enforced 33% running 33%
نه
nh n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered نهرهای (nhrháy)تبيان (tbíán)جريان (jríán)نه (nh)مدام (mdám)ابواب (ibúáb)رضوان (rḍúán)مفتوح (mftúḥ)نماند (nmánd) as “the streaming river, utterance, the portals, Ridván, cannot for ever remain open”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
عندليبان
ʿndlíbán ʿ-n-d-l-b “nightingale”

literal: nightingale

3 occurrences in corpus

گلستان

literal: rose-garden; rose garden

2 occurrences in corpus

های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered جنان (jnán)از (iz)گلستان (glstán)قدسی (qdsí)آشيان (áshíán)های (háy)الهی (al-hí)پرواز (prúáz)نمايند، (nmáynd،) as “Paradise, from, earthly abode, its heavenly nest, flight away, may”

پرواز
prúáz p-r-w “nurtured” Distinctive

literal: fly, flight

This form usually rendered as “winged”, “wing”, “rise” (6 occurrences)

winged 25% wing 25% rise 25% fly 25%
ديگر
dígr d-g-r

literal: other; other, another; other/another

SE rendered آشيان (áshíán)های (háy)الهی (al-hí)پرواز (prúáz)نمايند، (nmáynd،)ديگر (dígr)نه (nh)نغمه (nghmh)بلبل (blbl)شنوی (shnúy)نه (nh)جمال (jmál) as “its heavenly nest, flight away, may, melody, heard, the beauty of the rose”

another 44% other 16% different 16% again 6% else 6% hand 3% furthermore 3% passage 3% once 3%
بلبل
blbl b-l-b-l

literal: nightingale

SE rendered پرواز (prúáz)نمايند، (nmáynd،)ديگر (dígr)نه (nh)نغمه (nghmh)بلبل (blbl)شنوی (shnúy)نه (nh)جمال (jmál)گل (gl)بينی (bíní)پس (ps) as “flight away, may, melody, heard, the beauty of the rose, therefore”

گل
gl g-l

literal: rose; flower; clay

SE rendered نغمه (nghmh)بلبل (blbl)شنوی (shnúy)نه (nh)جمال (jmál)گل (gl)بينی (bíní)پس (ps)حمامه (ḥmámh)ازلی (izlí)شور (shúr) as “melody, heard, the beauty of the rose, therefore, the Bird of Eternity, ceased to”

rose 31% clay 19% rosebush 6% flower 6% lilies 6% blossoms 6% flowers 6% roses 6% world 6% mire 6%
بينی

literal: utterance; explanation; between

SE rendered نغمه (nghmh)بلبل (blbl)شنوی (shnúy)نه (nh)جمال (jmál)گل (gl)بينی (bíní)پس (ps)حمامه (ḥmámh)ازلی (izlí)شور (shúr) as “melody, heard, the beauty of the rose, therefore, the Bird of Eternity, ceased to”

behold 50% thou 17% witness 17% eyes 17%
جلوه
jlúh j-l-w

literal: manifestation; manifest; manifested

SE rendered تغنّی (tghnní)بهار (bhár)الهی (al-hí)جلوه (jlúh)تزيين (tzíyn)غنيمت (ghnímt)شمرده (shmrdh)گوش (gúsh)قلب (qlb) as “warble, the divine springtime, Seize the time, inner hearing”

unveiled 50% reveal 50%
سروش
srúsh s-r-w-sh “call”

literal: message

1 occurrence in corpus

خدا
khdá kh-d-ʾ “god”

literal: God

3 occurrences in corpus

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶