Kitáb-i-Íqán — §78

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 78 of 291.

Source (Persian)

باری، از مطلب دور مانديم اگر چه همه ذکر مطلب است و ليکن قسم به خدا آنچه می خواهم اختصار نمايم و به اقلّ کفايت کنم می بينم زمام قلم از دست رفته و با وجود اين چقدر از لئالی بی شمار که ناسفته در صدف قلب مانده و چه مقدار حوريّات معانی که در غرف های حکمت مستور گشته که احدی مسّ آنها ننموده، "لَم يَطمِثهُنَّ إنسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ و لا جانٌّ. " با همه اين بيانات گويا حرفی از مقصود ذکر نشد و رمزی از مطلوب مذکور نيامد، تا کی محرمی يافت شود و احرام حرم دوست بندد و به کعبه مقصود واصل گردد و بی گوش و لسان اسرار بيان بشنود و بيابد.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen. Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How many the húrís of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! None hath yet approached them;—húrís, “whom no man nor spirit hath touched before.” Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged concerning Our object. When will a faithful seeker be found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka’bih of the heart’s desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance?

Translation Notes

باری،

b-r-y → “We”

literal: well; cistern; pit

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

مطلب

ṭ-l-b → “theme”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

دور

d-w-r → “far”

literal: cycle; dispensation; age; turn; round

مانديم

m-ʾ-n → “have”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

چه

ch-h → “For”

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

همه

h-m-h → “all”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

است

b-w-d

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

ليکن

l-k-n → “however” Distinctive

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

قسم

q-s-m → “swear”

literal: oath; division; kind; type

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

خدا

kh-d-ʾ

literal: God; the Divine

آنچه

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; indeed; that, to

می

m-y-y

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

خواهم

kh-w-ʾ

literal: to want; to wish; will (future auxiliary); brother; sibling

اختصار

kh-ṣ-r → “brief”

literal: brevity; curtailment; abridgement

نمايم

n-m-ʾ → “will”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

اقلّ

q-l-l

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

کفايت

k-f-y

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

کنم

k-n

literal: do, make; make; do

بينم

d-y-d → “seen” Distinctive

literal: see; to see; seen

زمام

z-m-m → “reins”

literal: reins; bridle; control; governance

قلم

q-l-m → “pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

دست

d-s-t

literal: hand; control, power, authority

رفته

r-f-t

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “have clung”

literal: to; with; by

وجود

w-j-d → “Notwithstanding all that” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

اين

ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

چقدر

ch-q-d → “How all-encompassing”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لئالی

l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: night; darkness

بی

b-y → “without”

literal: without; is; to

شمار

sh-m-r

literal: to count; to regard; to esteem; to consider

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

ناسفته

s-w-f → “Ere long will” Distinctive

literal: to string; unstrung

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

صدف

ṣ-d-f → “shells”

literal: shell; oyster shell

قلب

q-l-b → “heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مقدار

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

حوريّات

ḥ-w-r → “Maid of Heaven” Distinctive

literal: maiden of paradise; houri

معانی

ʿ-n-y → “inner meaning”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

غرف

gh-r-f → “chambers”

literal: chamber; room; elevated chamber

های

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

حکمت

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

مستور

s-t-r → “concealed”

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

گشته

g-sh-t → “hath been”

literal: become; became; to become

احدی

ʾ-ḥ-d → “None”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

مسّ

m-s-s

literal: touch; touch/afflict; touched

يَطمِثهُنَّ

ṭ-m-th → “touched”

literal: to touch

إنسٌ

ʾ-n-s → “man” Distinctive

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

قَبْلَهُمْ

q-b-l → “before.””

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

لا

l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

جانٌّ.

j-ʾ-n → “lives”

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

بيانات

b-y-n → “said”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

گويا

g-w-y → “I say” Distinctive

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

حرفی

ḥ-r-f → “one letter”

literal: letter; character; edge

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “purpose”

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

نشد

sh-d → “been” Distinctive

literal: to become; to occur; to happen; to be

رمزی

r-m-z → “mysteries” Distinctive

literal: symbolic; hidden; mysterious

مذکور

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

نيامد،

ʾ-m-d

literal: to not come; to not arrive; reaching; arrival; attainment; to bring, to produce; to present

تا

t-y-y → “so that”

literal: so that/until

کی

k-w → “unto Him”

literal: street

محرمی

ḥ-r-m → “deprived” Distinctive

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

يافت

y-f-t → “have kept both” Distinctive

literal: find; found; to find, to attain

شود

sh-w-d

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

دوست

d-w-s-t

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

بندد

b-n-d → “servants” Distinctive

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

کعبه

k-ʿ-b → “adored sanctuary”

literal: Kaaba; cube/Kaaba; Kaaba/lodestar

واصل

w-ṣ-l → “attain”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

گردد

g-r-d

literal: become; to become; make

گوش

g-w-sh → “ear”

literal: ear; hearing; to listen

لسان

l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; language

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

بشنود

sh-n-y → “heard”

literal: most ugly; most abominable; most heinous

بيابد.

y-ʾ-b

literal: to find; to obtain; to discover; to reach

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶