Tablet of Aḥmad — §6

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 6 of 17.

Source (Arabic)

كَذَلِكَ يُذَكِّرُكُمُ ٱلْوَرْقَاءُ فِي هَذَا ٱلْسِّجْنِ وَمَا عَلَيهِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَاغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُعْرِضْ عَنْ هَذَا ٱلْنُّصْحِ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيتَّخِذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord.

Translation Notes

كَذَلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thus”

literal: thus; likewise; also

يُذَكِّرُكُمُ

dh-k-r → “mentioned” Distinctive

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

ٱلْوَرْقَاءُ

w-r-q → “Nightingale” Distinctive

literal: leaf, page, sheet, parchment, document

فِي

f-y → “from” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

هَذَا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

ٱلْسِّجْنِ

s-j-n → “prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

وَمَا

m-ʾ

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

عَلَيهِ

ʿ-l-y

literal: highest; most high; supreme

إِلَّا

ʾ-kh-r

literal: end; hereafter; other

ٱلْبَلَاغُ

b-l-gh

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

ٱلْمُبِينُ

b-y-n → “clear” Distinctive

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

فَمَنْ

m-n-n → “of”

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

شَاءَ

sh-y-ʾ → “desireth” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

فَلْيُعْرِضْ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turn aside”

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ٱلْنُّصْحِ

n-ṣ-ḥ → “counsel”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

وَمَنْ

m-n → “whosoever” Distinctive

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

فَلْيتَّخِذَ

ʾ-kh-dh → “laid hold” Distinctive

literal: take; take/seize; seize

إِلَى

ʾ-l-y → “to”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

رَبِّهِ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: divine; of God; lordly

سَبِيلاً

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶