Skip to main content

Kitáb-i-Íqán — §24

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 24 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اين است نغمات عيسی بن مريم که در رضوان انجيل به الحان جليل در علائم ظهور بعد فرموده. در سفر اوّل که منسوب به متّی است در وقتی که سؤال نمودند از علامات ظهور بعد جواب فرمود: "و لِلوَقتِ مِن بَعدِ ضيقِ تلکَ الاَيّامِ تُظلَم الشَّمسُ والقَمَرُلا يُعطی ضَوءَهُ و الکَواکِبُ تَتَساقَطُ مِنَ السَّماء وَ قُوّاةُ الاَرضِ تَرتجُّ.حينَئِذٍ تَظهَرُ عَلاماتُ ابنِ الانسانِ فی السّماء وَ يَنُوحُ کُلُّ قَبائِلِ الاَرضِ وَ يَرونَ ابنَ الإنسان آتياً عَلی سحابِ السَّماء مَعَ قُوّاةٍ و مَجدٍ کَبيرٍ و يُرسِلُ مَلائِکَتَهُ معَ صَوتِ السّافُورِ العَظيمِ." انتهی. ترجمه آن بفارسی اين است که بعد از تنگی و ابتلا که همه مردم را احاطه می نمايد شمس از افاضه ممنوع می شود يعنی تاريک می گردد و قمر از اعطای نور باز می ماند و ستاره های سماء بر ارض نازل می شوند و ارکان ارض متزلزل می شود. در اين وقت ظاهر می گردد نشانه های پسر انسان در آسمان، يعنی جمال موعود و ساذج وجود بعد از ظهور اين علامات از عرصه غيب به عالم شهود می آيد. و می فرمايد: "در آن حين جميع قبيله ها که در ارض ساکن اند نوحه و ندبه می نمايند و می بينند خلايق آن جمال احديّه را که می آيد از آسمان در حالتی که سوار بر ابر است با قوّت و بزرگی و بخششی بزرگ و می فرستد ملائکه های خود را با صدای سافور عظيم. انتهی. و در اسفار ثلاثه ديگر که منسوب به لوقا و مرقس و يوحنّا است همين عبارات مذکور است و چون در الواح عربيّه به تفصيل مذکور شد ديگر در اين اوراق متعرّض ذکر آنها نشديم و اکتفا به يکی از آنها نموديم.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of majestic power in the Riḍván of the Gospel, revealing those signs that must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him. In the first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He said unto them: “Immediately after the oppression of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.” Rendered into the Persian tongue, the purport of these words is as follows: When the oppression and afflictions that are to befall mankind will have come to pass, then shall the sun be withheld from shining, the moon from giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall upon the earth, and the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time, the signs of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the promised Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have appeared, step forth out of the realm of the invisible into the visible world. And He saith: at that time, all the peoples and kindreds that dwell on earth shall bewail and lament, and they shall see that divine Beauty coming from heaven, riding upon the clouds with power, grandeur, and magnificence, sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. Similarly, in the three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark, and John, the same statements are recorded. As We have referred at length to these in Our Tablets revealed in the Arabic tongue, We have made no mention of them in these pages, and have confined Ourselves to but one reference.

Translation Notes

الحان
al-ḥán l-ḥ-n → “of”

literal: accent

SE rendered بن (bn), مريم (mrím), رضوان (rḍúán), انجيل (injíl), الحان (al-ḥán), جليل (jlíl), علائم (ʿláʾm), ظهور (ẓhúr), فرموده (frmúdh) as “by, Jesus, Mary, in, of, majestic, Manifestation, He”

accents 50% sweet 50%
جواب
júáb j-w-b

literal: answer; answerer; answer, reply

SE rendered سؤال (sʾál), نمودند (nmúdnd), از (iz), علامات (ʿlámát), ظهور (ẓhúr), جواب (júáb), فرمود (frmúd), لِلوَقتِ (lilwaqt) as “asked, concerning, signs, coming, said, “Immediately”

answer 46% reply 17% replied 8% answered 4% make 4% replies 4% answering 4% made 4% answers 4% what 4%
الکَواکِبُ
al-kawákib k-w-b → “gallon-measure” Distinctive

literal: gallon-measure; stars

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

تَرتجُّ.حينَئِذٍ
tartjju.ḥínaʾidhin r-j-j

literal: shake

SE rendered السَّماء (as-samáʾ), قُوّاةُ (qúqáh), الاَرضِ (ar-rḍ), تَرتجُّ.حينَئِذٍ (tartjju.ḥínaʾidhin), تَظهَرُ (taẓhar), عَلاماتُ (ʿalámát), ابنِ (ibn) as “heaven, power, earth, appear, sign, Son”

hath 50% shall 50%
انتهی
inthí n-h-y

literal: end; ended

SE rendered صَوتِ (ṣawt), السّافُورِ (as-sáfúr), العَظيمِ (al-ʿaẓím), انتهی (inthí), ترجمه (trjmh), بفارسی (bfársí) as “sound, trumpet, great, the purport, Persian”

احاطه
iḥáṭh ḥ-w-ṭ

literal: encompassing; encompass; encompassed

SE rendered تنگی (tngí), ابتلا (ibtlá), همه (hmh), مردم (mrdm), احاطه (iḥáṭh), می (mí), نمايد (nmáyd), شمس (shms), از (iz), افاضه (ifáḍh), ممنوع (mmnúʿ) as “oppression, afflictions, are to befall, mankind, He, will, sun, from, withheld”

افاضه
ifáḍh f-y-ḍ

literal: outpouring

SE rendered مردم (mrdm), احاطه (iḥáṭh), می (mí), نمايد (nmáyd), شمس (shms), از (iz), افاضه (ifáḍh), ممنوع (mmnúʿ), می (mí), يعنی (yʿní), تاريک (tárík) as “mankind, He, will, sun, from, withheld, darkened”

باز
báz b-ʾ-z

literal: open

SE rendered قمر (qmr), از (iz), اعطای (iʿṭáy), نور (núr), باز (báz), می (mí), ماند (mánd), ستاره (stárh), های (háy), سماء (smáʾ), بر (br) as “moon, from, giving, light, stars, heaven, upon”

impede 17% likewise 17% outstretched 17% opened 17% yet 17% open 17%
ماند
mánd mándn

literal: remain; remained; to remain

SE rendered قمر (qmr), از (iz), اعطای (iʿṭáy), نور (núr), باز (báz), می (mí), ماند (mánd), ستاره (stárh), های (háy), سماء (smáʾ), بر (br), ارض (irḍ), نازل (názl) as “moon, from, giving, light, stars, heaven, upon, earth, fall”

have 18% left 9% leaving 9% strayed 9% endureth 9% still 9% would 9% may 9% knowledge 9% shall 9%
شوند
shúnd shdn

literal: become; to become

SE rendered ستاره (stárh), های (háy), سماء (smáʾ), بر (br), ارض (irḍ), نازل (názl), می (mí), شوند (shúnd), ارکان (irkán), ارض (irḍ), متزلزل (mtzlzl) as “stars, heaven, upon, earth, fall, pillars, shaken”

may 25% will 15% would 10% should 10% made 10% must 10% mayest 5% might 5% again 5% commissioned 5%
خلايق
khláyq kh-l-q

literal: creation; create; created

SE rendered ندبه (ndbh), می (mí), نمايند (nmáynd), می (mí), بينند (bínnd), خلايق (khláyq), جمال (jmál), احديّه (iḥdídh) as “lament, see, Beauty, divine”

peoples 23% entire 15% creation 15% dwell 8% mankind 8% human 8% all 8% world 8% creatures 8%
حالتی
ḥáltí ḥ-w-l

literal: now; state; around

SE rendered می (mí), آيد (áyd), از (iz), آسمان (ásmán), حالتی (ḥáltí), سوار (súár), بر (br), ابر (ibr), قوّت (qúqt) as “from, heaven, riding, upon, clouds, power”

فرستد
frstd frstádn

literal: send; to send

SE rendered بزرگی (bzrgí), بخششی (bkhshshí), بزرگ (bzrg), می (mí), فرستد (frstd), ملائکه (mláʾkh), های (háy), صدای (ṣdáy) as “grandeur, magnificence, angels, sound”

despatched 18% have 18% sent 18% despatch 9% will 9% hath 9% sending 9% send 9%
اسفار
isfár s-f-r → “embassy”

literal: ambassador; embassy; ambassador, minister

SE rendered سافور (sáfúr), عظيم (ʿẓím), انتهی (inthí), اسفار (isfár), ثلاثه (thláthh), ديگر (dígr), منسوب (mnsúb), لوقا (lúqá) as “trumpet, great, three, other, according, Luke”

gospels 50% text 50%
يوحنّا
yúḥnná y-ḥ-y → “john”

literal: john

1 occurrence in corpus

متعرّض
mtʿrrḍ ʿ-r-ḍ

literal: turn away; turning away; objection

SE rendered مذکور (mdhkúr), ديگر (dígr), اوراق (iwráq), متعرّض (mtʿrrḍ), ذکر (dhkr), آنها (ánhá), نشديم (nshdím), اکتفا (iktfá), يکی (ykí) as “referred, no, pages, mention, them, confined, one”

refrained 33% spake 33% refrain 33%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings cover

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶