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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §5

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 5 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين کلمات منزله که از غمام قدرت صمدانيّه و سماء عزّت ربّانيّه نازل شده زياده از حدّ احصاء و احاطه عباد است و اولوا الأفئده و صاحبان بصر را سوره هود کفايت می کند. قدری در آن سوره مبارکه تأمّل فرمائيد و به فطرت اصليّه تدبّر نمائيد تا قدری بر بدائع امورانبياء و ردّ و تکذيب کلمات نفی اطّلاع يابيد، شايد ناس را از موطن غفلت نفسانيّه به آشيان وحدت و معرفت الهيّه پرواز دهيد و از زلال حکمت لايزال و اثمار شجره علم ذی الجلال بياشاميد و مرزوق گرديد. اين است نصيب انفس مجرّده از مائده منزله قدسيّه باقيه.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the source of power and descended from the heaven of glory are innumerable and beyond the ordinary comprehension of man. To them that are possessed of true understanding and insight the Súrah of Húd surely sufficeth. Ponder a while those holy words in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive to grasp their meaning. Examine the wondrous behaviour of the Prophets, and recall the defamations and denials uttered by the children of negation and falsehood, perchance you may cause the bird of the human heart to wing its flight away from the abodes of heedlessness and doubt unto the nest of faith and certainty, and drink deep from the pure waters of ancient wisdom, and partake of the fruit of the tree of divine knowledge. Such is the share of the pure in heart of the bread that hath descended from the realms of eternity and holiness.

Translation Notes

غمام
ghmám gh-m-m

literal: clouds; cloud; cloud, clouds

SE rendered همچنين (hmchnín)کلمات (klmát)منزله (mnzlh)از (iz)غمام (ghmám)قدرت (qdrt)صمدانيّه (ṣmdánính)سماء (smáʾ)عزّت (ʿzzt) as “In like manner, words, descended, from, power, heaven, glory”

صمدانيّه
ṣmdánính ṣ-m-d

literal: eternal; eternal, absolute; eternal, everlasting

SE rendered کلمات (klmát)منزله (mnzlh)از (iz)غمام (ghmám)قدرت (qdrt)صمدانيّه (ṣmdánính)سماء (smáʾ)عزّت (ʿzzt)ربّانيّه (rbbánính)نازل (názl) as “words, descended, from, power, heaven, glory”

ربّانيّه
rbbánính r-b-b

literal: Lord; lord; divine

SE rendered قدرت (qdrt)صمدانيّه (ṣmdánính)سماء (smáʾ)عزّت (ʿzzt)ربّانيّه (rbbánính)نازل (názl)زياده (zíádh)از (iz)حدّ (ḥdd)احصاء (iḥṣáʾ) as “power, heaven, glory, descended, innumerable, from, beyond, comprehension”

احاطه
iḥáṭh ḥ-w-ṭ

literal: encompassing; encompass; encompassed

SE rendered نازل (názl)زياده (zíádh)از (iz)حدّ (ḥdd)احصاء (iḥṣáʾ)احاطه (iḥáṭh)عباد (ʿbád)اولوا (iwlúá)الأفئده (al-ʾafʾdh) as “descended, innumerable, from, beyond, comprehension, man, To them that are possessed, understanding”

صاحبان
ṣáḥbán ṣ-ḥ-b

literal: companions; possessor; companion

SE rendered عباد (ʿbád)اولوا (iwlúá)الأفئده (al-ʾafʾdh)صاحبان (ṣáḥbán)بصر (bṣr)سوره (súrh)هود (húd)کفايت (kfáyt)می (mí)کند (knd) as “man, To them that are possessed, understanding, insight, Súrah, Húd, sufficeth, hath”

people 20% whose 10% who 10% scientists 10% thirsty 10% men 10% illumined 10% have 10% masters 10%
می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered بصر (bṣr)سوره (súrh)هود (húd)کفايت (kfáyt)می (mí)کند (knd)قدری (qdrí)سوره (súrh)مبارکه (mbárkh) as “insight, words, Húd, sufficeth, hath, holy”

3 occurrences in corpus

فرمائيد
frmáʾíd f-r-m

literal: say

SE rendered سوره (súrh)مبارکه (mbárkh)تأمّل (tʾamml)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)فطرت (fṭrt)اصليّه (iṣlílh)تدبّر (tdbbr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd) as “words, holy, Ponder, strive to grasp, may”

consider 29% behold 12% reflect 12% sayest 12% inform 6% awhile 6% about 6% implication 6% do 6% observe 6%
فطرت
fṭrt f-ṭ-r

literal: creator; nature; nature, creation

SE rendered مبارکه (mbárkh)تأمّل (tʾamml)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)فطرت (fṭrt)اصليّه (iṣlílh)تدبّر (tdbbr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd) as “holy, Ponder, strive to grasp, may”

true 33% inner 33% souls 33%
اصليّه
iṣlílh ʾ-ṣ-l

literal: origin/essential; foundation; afternoon

SE rendered تأمّل (tʾamml)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)فطرت (fṭrt)اصليّه (iṣlílh)تدبّر (tdbbr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)قدری (qdrí)بر (br)بدائع (bdáʾʿ) as “Ponder, strive to grasp, may, wondrous”

essentials 25% foundation 25% even 25% false 25%
بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered تدبّر (tdbbr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)قدری (qdrí)بر (br)بدائع (bdáʾʿ)امورانبياء (imúránbíáʾ)ردّ (rdd)تکذيب (tkdhíb) as “strive to grasp, may, wondrous, behaviour of the Prophets, defamations and denials, falsehood”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
يابيد،
yábíd، y-b-d

literal: find; find, attain

SE rendered ردّ (rdd)تکذيب (tkdhíb)کلمات (klmát)نفی (nfí)اطّلاع (iṭṭláʿ)يابيد، (yábíd،)شايد (sháyd)ناس (nás)از (iz)موطن (múṭn)غفلت (ghflt) as “defamations and denials, falsehood, negation, recall, perchance, from, abodes, heedlessness”

4 occurrences in corpus

ناس
nás n-ʾ-s

literal: people; people, mankind; people/mankind

SE rendered نفی (nfí)اطّلاع (iṭṭláʿ)يابيد، (yábíd،)شايد (sháyd)ناس (nás)از (iz)موطن (múṭn)غفلت (ghflt)نفسانيّه (nfsánính) as “negation, recall, perchance, from, abodes, heedlessness, and doubt”

men 38% people 34% others 8% mankind 5% all 4% peoples 3% fellowmen 2% neighbor 2% men’s 1% wayward 1%
وحدت
wḥdt w-ḥ-d

literal: unity; one; oneness

SE rendered موطن (múṭn)غفلت (ghflt)نفسانيّه (nfsánính)آشيان (áshíán)وحدت (wḥdt)معرفت (mʿrft)الهيّه (al-híhh)پرواز (prúáz)دهيد (dhíd) as “abodes, heedlessness, and doubt, nest, divine, wing its flight”

unity 33% oneness 33% exalted 33%
معرفت
mʿrft ʿ-r-f

literal: knowledge; know; knower

SE rendered غفلت (ghflt)نفسانيّه (nfsánính)آشيان (áshíán)وحدت (wḥdt)معرفت (mʿrft)الهيّه (al-híhh)پرواز (prúáz)دهيد (dhíd)از (iz)زلال (zlál) as “heedlessness, and doubt, nest, divine, wing its flight, from, waters”

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%
دهيد
dhíd d-h

literal: give; to give; given

SE rendered معرفت (mʿrft)الهيّه (al-híhh)پرواز (prúáz)دهيد (dhíd)از (iz)زلال (zlál)حکمت (ḥkmt)لايزال (láyzál)اثمار (ithmár) as “divine, wing its flight, from, waters, wisdom, fruit”

fair 50% testify 25% readily 25%
لايزال
láyzál z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; decline

SE rendered پرواز (prúáz)دهيد (dhíd)از (iz)زلال (zlál)حکمت (ḥkmt)لايزال (láyzál)اثمار (ithmár)شجره (shjrh)علم (ʿlm) as “wing its flight, from, waters, wisdom, fruit, tree, knowledge”

ذی
dhí dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

SE rendered حکمت (ḥkmt)لايزال (láyzál)اثمار (ithmár)شجره (shjrh)علم (ʿlm)ذی (dhí)الجلال (al-jlál)بياشاميد (bíáshámíd)مرزوق (mrzúq) as “wisdom, fruit, tree, knowledge, drink, partake”

man 17% beings 17% word 17% discerning 17% any 17% one 17%
الجلال
al-jlál j-l-l

literal: exalted; glory; majesty

SE rendered اثمار (ithmár)شجره (shjrh)علم (ʿlm)ذی (dhí)الجلال (al-jlál)بياشاميد (bíáshámíd)مرزوق (mrzúq)گرديد (grdíd) as “fruit, tree, knowledge, drink, partake”

گرديد
grdíd g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

SE rendered بياشاميد (bíáshámíd)مرزوق (mrzúq)گرديد (grdíd)نصيب (nṣíb)انفس (infs)مجرّده (mjrrdh)از (iz) as “drink, partake, share, detachment, from”

shine 25% thou 25% did 25% hath 25%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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