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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §44

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 44 of 291.

Source (Persian)

ای برادر من، قدم روح بردار تا باديه های بعيده بُعد و هجر را به آنی طيّ فرمائی و در رضوان قرب و وصل در آئی و در نَفَسی به انفس الهيّه فائز شوی. و به قدم جسد هرگز اين مراحل طيّ نشود و مقصود حاصل نيايد. والسَّلامُ عَلَی مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الحَقَّ بِالحقِّ وَ کانَ عَلی صِراطِ الاَمرِ فيِ شاطئِ العرفانِ بِاسمِ اللّه موقُوفاً.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O my brother! Take thou the step of the spirit, so that, swift as the twinkling of an eye, thou mayest flash through the wilds of remoteness and bereavement, attain the Ridván of everlasting reunion, and in one breath commune with the heavenly Spirits. For with human feet thou canst never hope to traverse these immeasurable distances, nor attain thy goal. Peace be upon him whom the light of truth guideth unto all truth, and who, in the name of God, standeth in the path of His Cause, upon the shore of true understanding.

Translation Notes

ای
ʾ-y-y → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

برادر
b-r-d → “brother”

literal: brother

من،
m-n → “my” Distinctive

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

قدم
q-d-m → “step” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

روح
r-w-ḥ → “spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

تا
t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

باديه
b-d-w → “lest” Distinctive

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

های
null

literal: and; that; in

بعيده
b-ʿ-d → “remoteness”

literal: after; behind; distance

هجر
h-j-r → “remoteness”

literal: to emigrate, migrate, forsake; migration, emigration

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

آنی
ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

طيّ
ṭ-y-y → “traverse”

literal: traverse; folding

فرمائی
f-r-m

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

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

رضوان
r-ḍ-w → “Ridván”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

قرب
q-r-b → “nearness”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

وصل
w-ṣ-l → “reunion”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

آئی
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

نَفَسی
n-f-s → “breath” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الهيّه
ʾ-l-h → “heavenly” Distinctive

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

فائز
f-w-z → “attain”

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

شوی.
sh-d-n

literal: be; become

جسد
j-s-d → “bodies” Distinctive

literal: body; corpse; physical form

هرگز
h-r-g → “never”

literal: never; at no time; never ever

اين
ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

مراحل
r-ḥ-l → “don the garb of pilgrimage” Distinctive

literal: saddle; stages

نشود
sh-w-d

literal: to not become; to not be

مقصود
q-ṣ-d → “goal” Distinctive

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

حاصل
ḥ-ṣ-l → “attained”

literal: obtained; result; sum

نيايد.
ʾ-m-d

literal: to come; to arrive; to attain; to support; to aid; to strengthen; to confirm

والسَّلامُ
s-l-m → “Peace”

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

عَلَی
ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اتَّبَعَ
t-b-ʿ → “follow”

literal: to follow; to obey; to pursue

الحَقَّ
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

کانَ
k-w-n → “standeth” Distinctive

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

صِراطِ
ṣ-r-ṭ → “path”

literal: path, way, straight path

الاَمرِ
ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair

فيِ
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

شاطئِ
sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shore”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

العرفانِ
ʿ-r-f → “understanding”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِاسمِ
s-m-w → “in the name of”

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

موقُوفاً.
w-q-f

literal: aware; standing; stopping

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

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