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The Hidden Words — §100

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 100 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢٥) ﴿ ای بظاهر آراسته و بباطن کاسته ﴾ مَثَلِ شما مثل آب تلخ صافی است که کمال لطافت و صفا از آن در ظاهر مشهود شود چون بدست صرّاف ذائقه احديّه افتد قطره ای از آن را قبول نفرمايد * بلی تجلّی آفتاب در تراب و مرآت هر دو موجود ولکن از فَرْقَدان تا ارض فرق دان بلکه فرق بی منتهی در ميان *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(25) O YE SEEMING FAIR YET INWARDLY FOUL! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sun beam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!

Translation Notes

ای
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

بظاهر
ẓ-h-r → “SEEMING” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

آراسته
r-s-t → “Verily” Distinctive

literal: truth; verily; truly

بباطن
b-ṭ-n → “INWARDLY”

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

کاسته
k-s-t → “foul”

literal: breaking; ravening; destructive

مَثَلِ
m-th-l → “like” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

شما
sh-m-ʾ → “Ye are”

literal: you (plural); your

آب
m-w-h → “water”

literal: father; ancestry; forefathers

تلخ
t-l-kh → “bitter”

literal: bitter

صافی
ṣ-f-w → “crystal pure”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

است
b-w-d → “is”

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

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

کمال
k-m-l

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

لطافت
l-ṭ-f

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

آن
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

مشهود
sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

شود
sh-w-d → “is”

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

چون
ch-w-n

literal: since; when; as

بدست
d-s-t

literal: hand; control, power, authority

صرّاف
ṣ-r-f → “treatment” Distinctive

literal: pure; absolute; to turn away; to expend

ذائقه
dh-w-q → “Assayer”

literal: to taste; taste, flavor

احديّه
ʾ-ḥ-d → “divine” Distinctive

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

افتد
f-t-y → “decreed” Distinctive

literal: to fall, drop, befall, happen, come to pass

قطره
q-ṭ-r → “drop”

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

قبول
q-b-l → “accepted”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

نفرمايد
f-r-m → “not a” Distinctive

literal: say; command; says

بلی
b-l-y → “Yea”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

تجلّی
j-l-w → “revelation”

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation

آفتاب
ʾ-f-t-ʾ-b → “Day-Star”

literal: horizon, direction, region; horizon; sun

تراب
t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

مرآت
r-ʾ-y → “mirror”

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

هر
h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

دو
d-w → “two”

literal: two; run; running

موجود
w-j-d → “being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ولکن
l-k-n → “yet differ they in reflection even as doth” Distinctive

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

فَرْقَدان
f-r-q → “star”

literal: to sleep; to slumber; sleeping

تا
t-y-y

literal: so that/until

ارض
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

دان
d-ʾ-n

literal: to know, deem, consider, suppose

بلکه
b-l-k → “nay”

literal: nay; but rather; on the contrary; but

بی
b-y

literal: without; is; to

منتهی
n-h-y → “forbidden” Distinctive

literal: stinking, foul-smelling; stench

ميان
m-y-n

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

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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