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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §74

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 74 of 291.

Source (Persian)

وقوله: "وَ يَنوحُ کُلُّ قَبائِل الاَرض وَ يَرَونَ ابن الإنسان آتياً عَلی سَحابِ السَّماء مَعَ قُوّاةٍ وَ مجدٍ کبيرٍ." تلويح اين بيان اين است: يعنی در آن وقت نوحه می کنند عباد از جهت فقدان شمس جمال الهی و قمر علم و انجم حکمت لدنّی و در آن اثنا مشاهده می شود که آن طلعت موعود و جمال معبود از آسمان نازل می شود در حالتی که بر ابر سوار است، يعنی آن جمال الهی از سماوات مشيّت ربّانی در هيکل بشری ظهور می فرمايد. و مقصود از سماء نيست مگر جهت علوّ و سموّ که آن محلّ ظهور آن مشارق قدسيّه و مطالع قدميّه است. و اين کينونات قديمه اگر چه به حسب ظاهر از بطن امّهات ظاهر می شوند و ليکن فی الحقيقه از سماوات امر نازلند و اگر چه بر ارض ساکن اند و ليکن بر رفرف معانی متّکأند و در حينی که ميان عباد مشی می نمايند در هواهای قرب طائرند. بی حرکت رِجل در ارض روح مشی نمايند و بی پر به معارج احديّه پرواز فرمايند. در هر نَفَسی مشرق و مغرب ابداع را طيّ فرمايند و در هر آنی ملکوت غيب و شهاده را سير نمايند. بر عرش "لا يَشغَلُه شَأنٌ عَن شَأنٍ " واقف اند و بر کرسيّ"کلُّ يَومٍ هُوَ فی شَأنٍ" ساکن. از علوّ قدرت سلطان قدم و سموّ مشيّت مليک اعظم مبعوث می شوند. اين است که می فرمايد: از آسمان نازل می شود.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And now, with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of the human temple. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory. These ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine presence. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible. Upon their thrones is written: “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing;” and on their seats is inscribed: “Verily, His ways differ every day.” They are sent forth through the transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the exalted will of God, the most mighty King. This is what is meant by the words: “coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Translation Notes

وقوله:

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

"وَ

literal: and; quotation mark

يَنوحُ

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

کُلُّ

literal: for us; to us

قَبائِل

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الاَرض

literal: earth; land; ground; country

يَرَونَ

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

ابن

literal: son

الإنسان

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

آتياً

literal: to come; to arrive; to bring; to go; coming; arrival; the one coming; to give; Revelation; came; gave; brought

عَلی
ʿ-l-w “upon the” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سَحابِ

literal: cloud; clouds

السَّماء

literal: heaven; sky

مَعَ

literal: with; together with; alongside

قُوّاةٍ

literal: strength; power; strong

مجدٍ

literal: glory; majesty; magnificence

کبيرٍ."

literal: greatest; greater; grandeur

تلويح
l-w-ḥ “Tablet” Distinctive

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

اين

literal: this; these

بيان

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

يعنی

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

در

literal: in; in, at; radiant

آن

literal: that; those; he; she; it

وقت

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

می

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

کنند

literal: do; to do; do, make

عباد

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

از

literal: from

جهت

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

فقدان
f-q-d “forgotten” Distinctive

literal: to lose; to miss; lost; missing

شمس

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

جمال

literal: beauty; comeliness

الهی

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

قمر

literal: moon

علم

literal: world; universe; the worlds

انجم

literal: star

حکمت

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

لدنّی

literal: from; on the part of; from before; near

اثنا

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

مشاهده

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

شود

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

طلعت

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

موعود

literal: promised; the Promised One

نازل
n-z-l “descending” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

حالتی

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

بر

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ابر

literal: expression; phrase; utterance; statement; passage; wording

سوار

literal: chapter (of Qurʾan); surah

مشيّت

literal: way; manner; gait; to walk; to go; to proceed

ربّانی

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

هيکل

literal: temple; structure; form; body

بشری

literal: human; mankind; human nature

ظهور

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

فرمايد.

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

مقصود

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

نيست

literal: is not; not to be; does not exist; negation, denial, banishment; to negate, deny, banish; contradiction; opposition; contrariety

مگر

literal: matter; affair; thing

محلّ

literal: place; location; spot

مشارق

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

قدسيّه

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

قدميّه

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

کينونات

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

اگر

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

چه

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

حسب

literal: according to; in accordance with; as regards

بطن
b-ṭ-n “inwardly” Distinctive

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

امّهات

literal: mother

ليکن
l-k-n “however” Distinctive

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

الحقيقه
ḥ-q-q “God” Distinctive

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

امر

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

ارض

literal: earth; land; ground; country

ساکن
s-k-n “be dwelling” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

رفرف

literal: twinkling; blinking; moment

معانی
ʿ-n-y “of glory” Distinctive

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

متّکأند

literal: resting, leaning

حينی

literal: time; moment; while; season

ميان

literal: between; among; amid; in the midst of

مشی

literal: way; manner; gait; to walk; to go; to proceed

نمايند

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

هواهای

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

قرب

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

طائرند.

literal: bird; fly; flight

بی

literal: without; is; to

حرکت

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

رِجل

literal: man; men; person

روح

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

پر

literal: feather; wing, feather; wing

معارج

literal: to ascend, climb, mount

احديّه

literal: oneness; uniqueness; absolute unity; singularity of God

پرواز
p-r-w “nurtured” Distinctive

literal: to kindle, to light, to inflame

هر

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

نَفَسی
n-f-s “fleeting breath” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مغرب

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

ابداع

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

طيّ

literal: traverse; folding

آنی

literal: I, verily; behold I

ملکوت

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

غيب
gh-y-b “of the visible” Distinctive

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

سير
s-y-r “journeying” Distinctive

literal: captive; prisoner; captivity; to journey; to move; course

عرش

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

"لا

literal: not; no, not; no

يَشغَلُه

literal: occupied; busy; occupy

شَأنٌ

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

عَن

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

واقف
w-q-f “hesitated” Distinctive

literal: to stop; to halt; to pause; to hesitate

کرسيّ"کلُّ
k-r-s “throne” Distinctive

literal: throne; throne, seat

يَومٍ

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

هُوَ

literal: He; He is

شَأنٍ"

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

قدرت
q-d-r “of” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

سلطان

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

اعظم

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

مبعوث

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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