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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §56

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 56 of 291.

Source (Persian)

اگر قدری تأمّل رود در همين مطلب و بيان، ابواب های معانی و تبيان مفتوح بينيد و جميع علم و اسرار آن را بی حجاب مشاهده فرمائيد. و نيست اين امور مگر برای تربيت و خلاصی نفوس از قفس نفس و هوی و الّا آن سلطان حقيقی لم يزل به ذات خود غنيّ بوده از معرفت موجودات و لا يزال به کينونت خود مستغنی خواهد بود از عبادت ممکنات. يک نسيم از غنای او جميع عالم را به خلَع غنا مفتخر نمايد و يک قطره از بحر جود او همه هستی را به حيات باقيه مشرّف فرمايد. و ليکن چون مقصود امتياز حقّ از باطل و شمس از ظلّ است، اين است که در کلّ حين امتحان های مُنزله از جانب ربّ العزّه چون غيث هاطل جاری است.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you would surely find the portals of understanding unlocked before your face, and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof unveiled before your eyes. Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop and be delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire. Otherwise, that ideal King hath, throughout eternity, been in His Essence independent of the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, for ever, in His own Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul. A single breeze of His affluence doth suffice to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth; and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting life. But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the sun from the shadow, He hath, therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory.

Translation Notes

رود
rúd r-w-d

literal: will; want; desire

SE rendered قدری (qdrí)تأمّل (tʾamml)رود (rúd)همين (hmín)مطلب (mṭlb)بيان، (bíán،)ابواب (ibúáb) as “for a while, ponder, these, utterances, portals”

go 33% prophets 33% open 33%
مطلب
mṭlb ṭ-l-b

literal: seeking; seek; seeker

SE rendered قدری (qdrí)تأمّل (tʾamml)رود (rúd)همين (hmín)مطلب (mṭlb)بيان، (bíán،)ابواب (ibúáb)های (háy)معانی (mʿání) as “for a while, ponder, these, utterances, portals, understanding”

theme 37% argument 11% truth 11% purpose 11% aim 5% principle 5% things 5% lofty 5% meaning 5% object 5%
های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered همين (hmín)مطلب (mṭlb)بيان، (bíán،)ابواب (ibúáb)های (háy)معانی (mʿání)تبيان (tbíán)مفتوح (mftúḥ)بينيد (bíníd) as “these, utterances, portals, understanding, before, unlocked, behold”

بی

literal: without; is; to

5 occurrences in corpus

حجاب
ḥjáb ḥ-j-b

literal: veil; veiled; veils

SE rendered جميع (jmíʿ)علم (ʿlm)اسرار (isrár)بی (bí)حجاب (ḥjáb)مشاهده (msháhdh)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)نيست (níst) as “all, knowledge, mysteries, unveiled, He”

مشاهده
msháhdh sh-h-d

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

SE rendered علم (ʿlm)اسرار (isrár)بی (bí)حجاب (ḥjáb)مشاهده (msháhdh)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)نيست (níst)امور (imúr)مگر (mgr) as “knowledge, mysteries, unveiled, He, things, only”

نيست
níst b-w-d

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered بی (bí)حجاب (ḥjáb)مشاهده (msháhdh)فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)نيست (níst)امور (imúr)مگر (mgr)برای (bráy)تربيت (trbít) as “unveiled, He, things, only, develop”

do 17% now 17% god 17% attributed 17% denoteth 17% hath 17%
برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered فرمائيد (frmáʾíd)نيست (níst)امور (imúr)مگر (mgr)برای (bráy)تربيت (trbít)خلاصی (khláṣí)نفوس (nfús)از (iz)قفس (qfs)نفس (nfs) as “He, things, only, develop, delivered, souls, from, prison-cage, self”

wherefore 50% light 50%
يزل
yzl z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; decline

SE rendered هوی (húy)سلطان (slṭán)حقيقی (ḥqíqí)يزل (yzl)ذات (dhát)غنيّ (ghnín)از (iz)معرفت (mʿrft) as “desire, King, ideal, Essence, independent, of, comprehension”

hath 25% everlasting 13% time 13% ever 13% will 13% have 13% everlastingly 13%
خواهد
khúáhd kh-w-h

literal: will; to want/will

SE rendered يزال (yzál)کينونت (kínúnt)مستغنی (mstghní)خواهد (khúáhd)از (iz)عبادت (ʿbádt)ممکنات (mmknát)يک (yk) as “Being, exalted, above, adoration, single”

will 55% shall 18% such 9% desireth 9% wishing 9%
ممکنات
mmknát m-k-n

literal: possible things

SE rendered مستغنی (mstghní)خواهد (khúáhd)از (iz)عبادت (ʿbádt)ممکنات (mmknát)يک (yk)نسيم (nsím)از (iz)غنای (ghnáy)جميع (jmíʿ)عالم (ʿálm) as “exalted, of, adoration, single, breeze, affluence, all, mankind”

all 49% entire 21% created 14% creatures 5% creation 5% things 2% souls 2% every 2%
ليکن
líkn l-k-n “but”

literal: but; but, however; but/however

SE rendered حيات (ḥíát)باقيه (báqíh)مشرّف (mshrrf)فرمايد (frmáyd)ليکن (líkn)چون (chún)مقصود (mqṣúd)امتياز (imtíáz)حقّ (ḥqq)از (iz)باطل (báṭl) as “life, everlasting, glory, confer, But, inasmuch as, Purpose, true, from, false”

oh! 50% pearls 50%
امتياز
imtíáz m-y-z

literal: distinction; distinguished; distinguish

SE rendered فرمايد (frmáyd)ليکن (líkn)چون (chún)مقصود (mqṣúd)امتياز (imtíáz)حقّ (ḥqq)از (iz)باطل (báṭl)شمس (shms)از (iz)ظلّ (ẓll) as “confer, But, inasmuch as, Purpose, true, from, false, sun, shadow”

ربّ
rbb r-b-b

literal: Lord; lord

SE rendered حين (ḥín)امتحان (imtḥán)های (háy)مُنزله (munzlh)از (iz)جانب (jánb)ربّ (rbb)العزّه (al-ʿzzh)چون (chún)غيث (ghíth) as “season, tests, sent down, upon, from, glory, showers”

lord 93% god 3% creator 1% one 1% art 1% none 1% ruler 1% thou 1% ‘lord 1%
غيث

literal: rain; rain/abundance

showers 75% rain 25%
هاطل
háṭl h-ṭ-l

literal: raining

SE rendered از (iz)جانب (jánb)ربّ (rbb)العزّه (al-ʿzzh)چون (chún)غيث (ghíth)هاطل (háṭl) as “upon, from, glory, showers”

copious 33% rained 33% rain 33%
جاری
járí j-r-y

literal: flowing; flow; to flow

SE rendered جانب (jánb)ربّ (rbb)العزّه (al-ʿzzh)چون (chún)غيث (ghíth)هاطل (háṭl)جاری (járí) as “from, glory, showers”

have 13% floweth 13% streamed 13% hath 13% streaming 13% stream 13% flowed 6% flowing 6% gush 6% uttered 6%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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