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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

هوای
húáy h-w-y

literal: desire

SE rendered وای (wáy)وای (wáy)عاشقان (ʿáshqán)هوای (húáy)نفسانی (nfsání)از (iz)معشوق (mʿshúq)روحانی (rúḥání)چون (chún) as “ALAS, the Beloved One, Even as”

selfish 45% desire 27% covetous 9% own 9% soar 9%
از

literal: from

SE rendered وای (wáy)عاشقان (ʿáshqán)هوای (húáy)نفسانی (nfsání)از (iz)معشوق (mʿshúq)روحانی (rúḥání)چون (chún)برق (brq)گذشته‌ايد (gdhshth‌áyd) as “ALAS, the Beloved One, Even as, the swiftness of lightning, ye have passed by”

23 occurrences in corpus

روحانی
rúḥání r-w-ḥ

literal: spirit; spiritual

SE rendered معشوق (mʿshúq)روحانی (rúḥání)چون (chún)برق (brq)گذشته‌ايد (gdhshth‌áyd) as “the Beloved One, Even as, the swiftness of lightning, ye have passed by”

گذارده‌ايد
gdhárdh‌áyd g-dh-sh-t

literal: gave; place; place/pass

SE rendered ناظر (náẓr)خاريد (kháríd)نام (nám)گل (gl)گذارده‌ايد (gdhárdh‌áyd)نه (nh)نَفَس (nafas)فارغی (fárghí)از (iz)برآمد (brámd) as “turn your eyes, the thorn, name, a flower, Not, pure breath, breathed”

didst 50% advance 50%
نه

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered نام (nám)گل (gl)گذارده‌ايد (gdhárdh‌áyd)نه (nh)نَفَس (nafas)فارغی (fárghí)از (iz)برآمد (brámd)نه (nh) as “name, a flower, Not, pure breath, breathed”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
فارغی
fárghí f-r-gh

literal: free; empty; freedom

SE rendered گل (gl)گذارده‌ايد (gdhárdh‌áyd)نه (nh)نَفَس (nafas)فارغی (fárghí)از (iz)برآمد (brámd)نه (nh)نسيم (nsím)انقطاعی (inqṭáʿí) as “a flower, Not, pure breath, breathed, the breeze, detachment”

detached 21% freed 14% free 14% rid 7% relieved 7% sanctified 7% have 7% remain 7% emptied 7% freedom 7%
مشفقه
mshfqh sh-f-q

literal: compassion; compassionate

SE rendered از (iz)رياض (ríáḍ)قلوبتان (qlúbtán)وزيد (wzíd)نصايح (nṣáyḥ)مشفقه (mshfqh)محبوبرا (mḥbúbrá)بباد (bbád)داده‌ايد (dádh‌áyd)از (iz) as “from, the meadows, hearts, been wafted, the loving counsels, the Beloved, to the winds”

داده‌ايد
dádh‌áyd d-h

literal: give; to give; given

SE rendered نصايح (nṣáyḥ)مشفقه (mshfqh)محبوبرا (mḥbúbrá)بباد (bbád)داده‌ايد (dádh‌áyd)از (iz)صفحه (ṣfḥh)دل (dl)محو (mḥú)نموده‌ايد (nmúdh‌áyd) as “the loving counsels, the Beloved, to the winds, from, tablet, your hearts, effaced, hath”

will 15% fair 15% hath 15% imputed 8% have 8% still 8% telegraph 8% yielded 8% cut 8% testify 8%
صفحه

literal: tablet

1 occurrence in corpus

بهآئم
bháʾm b-h-y-m-h “beasts”

literal: beast

1 occurrence in corpus

سبزه

literal: pasture

1 occurrence in corpus

زار
zár z-w-r

literal: visitation; visit; Zawra

SE rendered نموده‌ايد (nmúdh‌áyd)چون (chún)بهآئم (bháʾm)سبزه (sbzh)زار (zár)شهوت (shhút)امل (iml)تعيّش (tʿíʿsh) as “hath, even as, the beasts of the field, the pastures, passion, desire, move and have your being”

hath 67% gazed 33%
مينمائيد*
mínmáʾíd* n-m-ʾ

literal: do; show; make

SE rendered سبزه (sbzh)زار (zár)شهوت (shhút)امل (iml)تعيّش (tʿíʿsh)مينمائيد* (mínmáʾíd*) as “the pastures, passion, desire, move and have your being”

have 25% will 14% hath 14% thou 9% consider 7% may 7% made 7% can 7% reflect 7% offered 5%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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