Kitáb-i-Íqán — §33

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 33 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و اطلاق شموس بر آن انوار مجرّده در کلمات اهل عصمت بسيار شده، از آن جمله در دعای ندبه می فرمايد: "اَينَ الشُّمُوسُ الطّالِعةُ ؟ اَينَ الاَقمار المُنيرَةُ؟ اَينَ الَانْجُمُ الزّاهِرَةُ؟" پس معلوم شد که مقصود از شمس و قمر و نجوم در مقام اوّليّه انبياء و اولياء و اصحاب ايشانند که از انوار معارفشان عوالم غيب و شهود روشن و منوّر است.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The term “suns” hath many a time been applied in the writings of the “immaculate Souls” unto the Prophets of God, those luminous Emblems of Detachment. Among those writings are the following words recorded in the “Prayer of Nudbih”: “Whither are gone the resplendent Suns? Whereunto have departed those shining Moons and sparkling Stars?” Thus, it hath become evident that the terms “sun,” “moon,” and “stars” primarily signify the Prophets of God, the saints, and their companions, those Luminaries, the light of Whose knowledge hath shed illumination upon the worlds of the visible and the invisible.

Translation Notes

اطلاق

ṭ-l-q → “applied”

literal: divorce; release; freeing

شموس

sh-m-s → ““suns””

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

انوار

n-w-r → “luminous” Distinctive

literal: type; kind; species

مجرّده

j-r-d → “Emblems of Detachment”

literal: neck; throat

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

اهل

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

عصمت

ʿ-ṣ-m → “protection” Distinctive

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

بسيار

b-s-r → “SON” Distinctive

literal: much; many; very; greatly

شده،

sh-d → “been”

literal: to become; to be

از

literal: from

جمله

j-m-l → “Among”

literal: beauty; totality; beautiful

دعای

d-ʿ-w → “summoned” Distinctive

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

ندبه

n-d-b → “lament”

literal: lamentation; wailing; mourning

می

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

فرمايد:

f-r-m → “recorded” Distinctive

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

"اَينَ

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter” Distinctive

literal: this; these

الطّالِعةُ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

الاَقمار

q-m-r → “Moons”

literal: moon

الَانْجُمُ

n-j-m → “Stars?””

literal: star

الزّاهِرَةُ؟"

z-h-r → “Beware, beware” Distinctive

literal: beware; blossom; poison

پس

p-s → “From”

literal: then; then, therefore; therefore

معلوم

ʿ-l-m → “evident”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

که

k-h → “that the terms”

literal: that; who; who, that

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “purpose”

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

مقام

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

اوّليّه

ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

انبياء

n-b-ʾ → “Prophets”

literal: prophet; messenger

اولياء

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

اصحاب

ṣ-ḥ-b → “companions”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

ايشانند

h-s-t → “are”

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

معارفشان

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

غيب

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable

شهود

sh-h-d → “visible”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

روشن

r-w-sh → “illumined”

literal: light; illumination; brilliance; clarity

است.

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

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