Prayers and Meditations — §384

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 384 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فَلَمَّا نَطَقَ بِكَلِمَةٍ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ العُلَمآءُ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ وَاعْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ الأُدَبآءُ مِنْ عِبادِكَ، وَبِذلِكَ اشْتَعَلَتْ نارُ الظُّلْمِ فِي مَمْلَكَتِكَ إِلى أَنْ قَامَ المُلُوكُ عَلَى إِطْفآءِ نُورِكَ يا مالِكَ المُلُوكِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No sooner had a word gone forth from His lips, however, than the divines among Thy people turned back from Him, and the learned among Thy servants caviled at His signs. Thereby the fire of oppression was kindled in Thy land, until the kings themselves rose up to put out Thy light, O Thou Who art the King of kings!

Translation Notes

بِكَلِمَةٍ

bikalimahin k-l-m

literal: word; words

SE rendered فَلَمَّا (falammá), نَطَقَ (naṭaq), بِكَلِمَةٍ (bikalimahin), أَعْرَضَ (ʾaʿraḍ), عَنْهُ (ʿanh), العُلَمآءُ (al-ʿulamáʾ) as “No sooner had, a word gone forth, turned back, from, divines”

word 54% words 23% through 10% one 6% statement 2% single 2% sayings 1% idle 1% certain 1% divinity 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §58: A word fire-tabletFire §48: Thy shining word gleaningsGWB §564: name kitab-i-ahdAhd §14: single utterance kitab-i-iqanKIQ §70: “Word”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §492: a single word tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §48: gave utterance the-hidden-wordsHW §95: faith

أَعْرَضَ

ʾaʿraḍ ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned back”

literal: turn away; turning away

turned 35% turneth 21% turn 15% renounce 6% who 6% hath 6% withdraw 3% withdrawn 3% have 3% standeth 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: Disputest gleaningsGWB §108: against Him kitab-i-iqanKIQ §241: cavil prayers-and-meditationsP&M §751: have withdrawn tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §14: hath also turned away the-hidden-wordsHW §24: thee turn away will-and-testamentW&T §3: exposed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §232: that have turned aside from Me

العُلَمآءُ

al-ʿulamáʾ ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

divines 67% learned 20% doctors 4% leaders 4% priests 2% clerics 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §144: Thy knowledge fire-tabletFire §49: all the worlds gleaningsGWB §715: world,”kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: recognized kitab-i-iqanKIQ §236: the Christian divines prayers-and-meditationsP&M §558: all His creatures.”tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: which we have taught

بَرِيَّتِكَ

baríratik b-r-ʾ → “thy people”

literal: creation; creatures; creation/creatures

people 53% creatures 35% among 6% unto 2% against 2% human 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: mankind gleaningsGWB §690: your Lord, the Creator prayers-and-meditationsP&M §385: of Thy creatures epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §232: Briefly gleaningsGWB §122: emerge prayers-and-meditationsP&M §379: a human creature epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: men gleaningsGWB §195: God, your Creator

الأُدَبآءُ

ad-dabáʾ ʾ-d-b → “courtesy” Distinctive

literal: courtesy

This form usually rendered as “scholars”, “learned” (2 occurrences)

scholars 50% learned 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §54: upright conduct gleaningsGWB §638: and courtesy kitab-i-iqanKIQ §39: manner prayers-and-meditationsP&M §384: learned epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: courtesy gleaningsGWB §44: according to such ways and manners kitab-i-iqanKIQ §162: customs gleaningsGWB §704: propriety

عِبادِكَ،

ʿibádika، ʿ-b-d → “thy servants”

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

servants 87% among 4% people 3% unto 1% upon 1% all 1% amidst 1% sincere 1% servants’ 1% ones 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §227: the people fire-tabletFire §49: Adored gleaningsGWB §104: servitude kitab-i-iqanKIQ §88: His people?”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §811: to worship Thee tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a service will-and-testamentW&T §35: me epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: the oppressed

اشْتَعَلَتْ

ishtaʿalat sh-ʿ-l → “oppression was kindled”

literal: kindled

SE expanded to “oppression was kindled”

hath 29% kindled 29% grew 14% set 14% which 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: grew fiercer fire-tabletFire §50: that shall set aflame gleaningsGWB §118: flame kitab-i-iqanKIQ §84: the fiercer groweth the blaze prayers-and-meditationsP&M §171: to shine brightly tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §10: as a flame the-hidden-wordsHW §110: torch epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §33: burned high

نارُ

nár n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; fire, flame

fire 64% flame 17% flames 5% into 3% hell 3% former 3% latter 3% afire 1% set 1% utter 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §250: fires gleaningsGWB §551: former kitab-i-iqanKIQ §17: with the flames prayers-and-meditationsP&M §174: my Fire tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §10: of fire will-and-testamentW&T §53: mischief-kindling epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: into the fire gleaningsGWB §558: without fire

الظُّلْمِ

aẓ-ẓulm ẓ-l-m → “of”

literal: wronged; injustice; darkness

SE rendered وَبِذلِكَ (wabidhlik), اشْتَعَلَتْ (ishtaʿalat), نارُ (nár), الظُّلْمِ (aẓ-ẓulm), مَمْلَكَتِكَ (mamlakatik) as “Thereby, oppression was kindled, fire, of, Thy land”