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The Hidden Words — §104

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 104 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢٩) ﴿ ای پسر جوددر باديه های عدم بودی و ترا بمدد تراب امر در عالم ملک ظاهر نمودم و جميع ذرّات ممکنات و حقائق کائنات را بر تربيت تو گماشتم چنانچه قبل از خروج از بطن امّ دو چشمه شير منير برای تو مقرّر داشتم و چشمها برای حفظ تو گماشتم و حبّ ترا در قلوب القا نمودم و بصرف جود ترا در ظلّ رحمتم پروردم و از جوهر فضل و رحمت ترا حفظ فرمودم * و مقصود از جميع اين مراتب آن بود که بجبروت باقی ما درآئی و قابل بخششهای غيبی ما شوی * و تو غافل چون بثمر آمدی از تمامی نعيمم غفلت نمودی و بگمان باطل خود پرداختی بقسمی که بالمرّه فراموش نمودی و از باب دوست بايوان دشمن مقرّ يافتی و مسکن نمودی*

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(29) O SON OF BOUNTY! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou didst remain, and when fully grown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself with thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst become wholly forgetful, and, turning away from the portals of the Friend didst abide within the courts of My enemy.

Translation Notes

ای

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

پسر

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

جود

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

در

literal: in; in, at; radiant

باديه
b-d-w “lest” Distinctive

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

های

literal: and; that; in

عدم

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

ترا

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

بمدد
m-d-d “ink” Distinctive

literal: extended; outstretched; sustained

تراب

literal: dust; earth; soil

امر
ʾ-m-r “command” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

عالم
ʿ-l-m “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ملک

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

ظاهر

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

نمودم

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

جميع

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

ذرّات

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

ممکنات

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

حقائق
ḥ-q-q “essence” Distinctive

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

کائنات

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

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بر

literal: on; on, upon; upon

تربيت

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

تو

literal: you

گماشتم

literal: opinion; supposition; conjecture

چنانچه

literal: thus; in such manner; as

قبل

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

از

literal: from

خروج
kh-r-j “banished” Distinctive

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

بطن
b-ṭ-n “inwardly” Distinctive

literal: inner; hidden; inward; esoteric

امّ

literal: mother

دو

literal: two; run; running

چشمه

literal: eye; vision; sight

شير
sh-y-r “allusions” Distinctive

literal: to point to; to indicate; to gesture

منير
n-w-r “light” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination

برای

literal: for; on; briefly

مقرّر
q-r-r “acknowledged” Distinctive

literal: matter; affair; thing

داشتم

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

حفظ
ḥ-f-ẓ “guarded” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

حبّ

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قلوب

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

القا

literal: to cast, throw, utter; to impart

بصرف
ṣ-r-f “treatment” Distinctive

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

ظلّ
ẓ-l-l “shade” Distinctive

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

رحمتم

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

پروردم

literal: to nourish; to rear; to cultivate

جوهر

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

فضل

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

فرمودم

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

مقصود

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

اين

literal: this; these

مراتب

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

آن

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بود

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

بجبروت

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

باقی

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

ما

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

درآئی

literal: to enter; enter/choose; come

بخششهای
b-kh-sh “grace” Distinctive

literal: gift; bounty; grace; pardon

غيبی

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

شوی
sh-d-n “hath been” Distinctive

literal: be; become

غافل

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

چون

literal: since; when; as

بثمر

literal: fruit; the fruit

آمدی

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

تمامی

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

نعيمم

literal: blessing; bounty; favor

نمودی

literal: do; to do; do/make

بگمان

literal: supposition; opinion; conjecture; fancy; to suppose; to think

باطل

literal: falsehood, false; vain, null

خود

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

پرداختی

literal: to give; to provide; to pay; to bestow

بقسمی

literal: oath; division; kind; type

بالمرّه

literal: to pass; to pass by; to go

فراموش

literal: to forget; forgetfulness

باب
b-w-b “portals” Distinctive

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

دوست

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

بايوان

literal: court, hall

دشمن

literal: enemy; adversary; foe

يافتی
y-ʾ-b “find” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

مسکن

literal: dwelling; dwelling, residing; quiet

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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Prayers and Meditations

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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59 ¶