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The Hidden Words — §111

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 111 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٣٦) ﴿ ای پسر ترابحکمای عباد آنانند که تا سمع نيابند لب نگشايند چنانچه ساقی تا طلب نبيند ساغر نبخشد و عاشق تا بجمال معشوق فائز نشود از جان نخروشد * پس بايد حبّه های حکمت و علم را در ارض طيّبه قلب مبذول داريد و مستور نمائيد تا سنبلات حکمت الهی از دِل برآيد نه از گِل *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(36) O SON OF DUST! The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved. Wherefore sow the seeds of wisdom and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart, and keep them hidden, till the hyacinths of divine wisdom spring from the heart and not from mire and clay.

Translation Notes

عباد
ʿbád ʿ-b-d

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

SE rendered پسر (psr)تراب (tráb)حکمای (ḥkmáy)عباد (ʿbád)آنانند (ánánnd)سمع (smʿ)نيابند (níábnd) as “SON, DUST, wise, are they, obtain, speak not”

servants 34% men 30% people 21% man 3% all 3% peoples 3% unto 2% who 2% serve 2% mankind 2%
لب
lb l-b

literal: lip; lip, edge

SE rendered آنانند (ánánnd)سمع (smʿ)نيابند (níábnd)لب (lb)نگشايند (ngsháynd)چنانچه (chnánchh)ساقی (sáqí)طلب (ṭlb)نبيند (nbínd) as “are they, obtain, speak not, even as, cup-bearer, seeker, findeth”

3 occurrences in corpus

نگشايند
ngsháynd g-sh-ʾ

literal: open; opened; opens

SE rendered آنانند (ánánnd)سمع (smʿ)نيابند (níábnd)لب (lb)نگشايند (ngsháynd)چنانچه (chnánchh)ساقی (sáqí)طلب (ṭlb)نبيند (nbínd)ساغر (sághr) as “are they, obtain, speak not, even as, cup-bearer, seeker, findeth, cup”

will 20% open 20% redeemer 10% opened 10% spoke 10% out 10% exposed 10% hath 10%
ساقی
sáqí s-q-y “made” Distinctive

literal: cupbearer; gave-drink

This form usually rendered as “cup-bearer” (2 occurrences)

made 50% cup-bearer 50%
ساغر
sághr s-gh-r “cup”

literal: cup; cup, chalice

cup 50% chalice 50%
نشود
nshúd sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered عاشق (ʿáshq)بجمال (bjmál)معشوق (mʿshúq)فائز (fáʾz)نشود (nshúd)از (iz)جان (ján)نخروشد (nkhrúshd)پس (ps)بايد (báyd)حبّه (ḥbbh) as “lover, beauty, beloved, gazeth upon, from, heart, crieth not out, Wherefore, sow, seeds”

should 60% nothing 20% shall 20%
نخروشد
nkhrúshd kh-r-sh “daystar” Distinctive

literal: sun; cry-out; cry/voice

This form usually rendered as “crieth” (1 occurrences)

daystar 17% hear 17% day-star 17% voices 17% crieth 17% lacerate 17%
های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered از (iz)جان (ján)نخروشد (nkhrúshd)پس (ps)بايد (báyd)حبّه (ḥbbh)های (háy)حکمت (ḥkmt)علم (ʿlm)ارض (irḍ)طيّبه (ṭíṭbh) as “from, heart, crieth not out, Wherefore, sow, seeds, wisdom, knowledge, soil, pure”

طيّبه
ṭíṭbh ṭ-y-b “pure” Distinctive

literal: good; good, pure

This form usually rendered as “goodly”, “good”, “righteous” (11 occurrences)

goodly 22% good 22% righteous 11% rich 11% sacred 11% pure 11% holy 11%
مبذول
mbdhúl b-dh-l

literal: bestowed; expended; granted

SE rendered علم (ʿlm)ارض (irḍ)طيّبه (ṭíṭbh)قلب (qlb)مبذول (mbdhúl)داريد (dáríd)مستور (mstúr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)سنبلات (snblát) as “knowledge, soil, pure, heart, keep, hidden, hyacinths”

confer 33% exert 11% bend 11% have 11% conferring 11% breathed 11% fall 11%
نمائيد
nmáʾíd n-m-ʾ

literal: show

SE rendered طيّبه (ṭíṭbh)قلب (qlb)مبذول (mbdhúl)داريد (dáríd)مستور (mstúr)نمائيد (nmáʾíd)سنبلات (snblát)حکمت (ḥkmt)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)دِل (dil) as “pure, heart, keep, hidden, hyacinths, wisdom, divine, from”

recite 10% remember 10% consider 10% observe 10% ye 10% upon 10% arise 10% resolve 10% deliver 10% bestir 10%
برآيد
bráyd ʾ-y-d “possible” Distinctive

literal: come; come forth; to come

This form usually rendered as “spring” (1 occurrences)

possible 25% spring 25% enter 25% approach 25%
نه

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered سنبلات (snblát)حکمت (ḥkmt)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)دِل (dil)برآيد (bráyd)نه (nh)از (iz)گِل (gil) as “hyacinths, wisdom, divine, from, heart, spring, and not, mire and clay”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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