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The Hidden Words — §121

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 121 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٤٥) ﴿ وای وای ای عاشقان هوای نفسانی ﴾ از معشوق روحانی چون برق گذشته‌ايد و بخيال شيطانی دل محکم بسته‌ايد * ساجد خياليد و اسم آن را حقّ گذاشته‌ايد و ناظر خاريد و نام آن را گل گذارده‌ايد * نه نَفَس فارغی از شما برآمد و نه نسيم انقطاعی از رياض قلوبتان وزيد * نصايح مشفقه محبوبرا بباد داده‌ايد و از صفحه دل محو نموده‌ايد و چون بهآئم در سبزه زار شهوت و امل تعيّش مينمائيد*

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(45) ALAS! ALAS! Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a flower. Not a pure breath have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze of detachment been wafted from the meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the winds the loving counsels of the Beloved and have effaced them utterly from the tablet of your hearts, and even as the beasts of the field, ye move and have your being within the pastures of desire and passion.

Translation Notes

وای
ʾ-y-y → “signs”

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

ای
ʾ-y-y

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

هوای
h-w-y

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

از
ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

معشوق
ʿ-sh-q → “Beloved One”

literal: love, passion, ardor

روحانی
r-w-ḥ

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

چون
ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

برق
b-r-q → “swiftness of lightning”

literal: lightning; to flash; swiftness

گذشته‌ايد
g-dh-r → “ye have passed by”

literal: to leave; to pass; to abandon

شيطانی
sh-ṭ-n → “satanic”

literal: Satan; devil; evil one; accursed one

دل
d-l → “hearts”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

محکم
ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

بسته‌ايد
b-s-t → “fettered” Distinctive

literal: bound; tied; dependent; fastened

ساجد
s-j-d → “worship” Distinctive

literal: mosque; place of prostration

خياليد
kh-y-l → “desire” Distinctive

literal: ill-wishing; malice; enmity

اسم
s-m-w → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: name; title; designation

آن
ʾ-n → “it” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

حقّ
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

ناظر
n-ẓ-r → “turn your eyes” Distinctive

literal: neck; slaves; those held in bonds

خاريد
kh-ʾ-r → “thorn”

literal: thorn; thornbush

نام
n-ʾ-m → “name”

literal: to sleep; to slumber

گل
g-l → “flower” Distinctive

literal: rose-garden; garden of flowers

گذارده‌ايد
g-dh-sh-t

literal: to place, to put, to leave, to set, to pass

نه
n-h-y → “Not” Distinctive

literal: end; ended; utmost

نَفَس
n-f-s → “pure breath” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

فارغی
f-r-gh

literal: free; detached; empty; unoccupied

شما
sh-m-ʾ → “ye”

literal: you (plural); your

برآمد
ʾ-m-d → “came” Distinctive

literal: come; came; to come

نسيم
n-s-m → “breeze”

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

انقطاعی
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

رياض
r-w-ḍ → “garden”

literal: garden; meadow; enclosed garden

قلوبتان
q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

وزيد
w-z-d → “be wafted” Distinctive

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

نصايح
n-ṣ-ḥ → “loving counsels”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

مشفقه
sh-f-q

literal: compassion; compassionate; tenderness

محبوبرا
ḥ-b-b → “Beloved”

literal: love; affection

بباد
b-ʾ-d → “must needs” Distinctive

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

داده‌ايد
d-h

literal: give; to give; given

صفحه
ṣ-f-ḥ-h → “tablet”

literal: tablet

محو
m-ḥ-w → “effaced”

literal: to efface; to obliterate; to blot out; to cause to disappear

نموده‌ايد
n-m-ود → “hath” Distinctive

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

بهآئم
b-h-y-m-h → “beasts of the field”

literal: beast

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سبزه
s-b-z-h → “pastures”

literal: green; verdant; flourishing

زار
z-w-r

literal: falsification; distortion; forgery

شهوت
sh-h-w → “desires”

literal: desire; lust; passion; appetite

امل
ʾ-m-l → “desire”

literal: hope; expectation; aspiration; desire; wish; to hope; to wish

تعيّش
ʿ-y-sh → “living” Distinctive

literal: living; livelihood; life/livelihood

مينمائيد*
n-m-ʾ

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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