Kitáb-i-Íqán — §255

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 255 of 291.

Source (Persian)

يَا ابْنَ الإنسانِ، قد مَضَی عَلَيکَ اَيّامٌ و اشتَغَلْتَ فيهَا بمَا تَهْوی بِهِ نَفْسُکَ مِنَ الظُّنُونِ وَ الاَوهامِ. إلی مَتَی تَکُونُ راقِداً عَلَی بساطِکَ؟ فَارْفَعْ رأسَکَ عَنِ النَّومِ. فَإنَّ الشَّمسَ قَدِ ارتَفَعَتْ فِی وَسَطِ الزَّوالِ، لَعَلَّ تُشرِقُ عَلَيکَ باَنوارِ الجَمالِ.والسّلام.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

“O Son of Man! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thine head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith; haply it may shine upon thee with the light of beauty.”

Translation Notes

يَا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

ابْنَ

b-n-y → “Son”

literal: son

الإنسانِ،

ʾ-n-s → “of”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

قد

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

مَضَی

m-ḍ-y → “passed”

literal: to pass, go by; have passed; past; bygone

عَلَيکَ

ʿ-l-y → “over” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اَيّامٌ

y-w-m → “Many a day”

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

اشتَغَلْتَ

sh-gh-l → “hast busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

بمَا

m-ʾ

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

تَهْوی

h-w-y

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

نَفْسُکَ

n-f-s → “thyself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مِنَ

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

الظُّنُونِ

ẓ-n-n → “fancies”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الاَوهامِ.

w-h-m → “idle imaginings” Distinctive

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

إلی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

تَکُونُ

k-w-n → “art thou to” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

راقِداً

r-q-d → “slumber”

literal: to sleep; to slumber; sleeping

عَلَی

ʿ-l-w → “on” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بساطِکَ؟

b-s-ṭ → “thy bed”

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

فَارْفَعْ

r-f-ʿ → “Lift up”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

رأسَکَ

r-ʾ-s → “thine head”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

النَّومِ.

n-w-m → “slumber”

literal: to sleep; to slumber

فَإنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “for” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الشَّمسَ

sh-m-s → “Sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

فِی

f-y → “to”

literal: in it; in them

وَسَطِ

w-s-ṭ → “meridian”

literal: mediator; intermediary; means; to mediate

الزَّوالِ،

z-w-l

literal: to pass away; to vanish; to disappear; to cease

لَعَلَّ

l-ʿ-l → “haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

تُشرِقُ

sh-r-q → “shine”

literal: shining; east; shine

باَنوارِ

n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

الجَمالِ.والسّلام.

j-m-l → “of beauty.””

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶