The Hidden Words — §154

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 154 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٧٧) ﴿ ای پسر انصاف ﴾ در ليل جمال هيکل بقا از عقبه زمرّدی وفا بسدره منتهی رجوع نمود و گريست گريستنی که جميع ملأ عالين و کروبين از ناله او گريستند * و بعد از سبب نوحه و ندبه استفسار شد مذکور داشت که حسب الأمر در عقبه وفا منتظر ماندم و رائحه وفا از اهل ارض نيافتم و بعد آهنگ رجوع نمودم ملحوظ افتاد که حمامات قدسی چند در دست کلاب ارض مبتلی شده‌اند * در اين وقت حوريّه الهی از قصر روحانی بی ستر و حجاب دويد و سؤال از اسامی ايشان نمود و جميع مذکور شد الّا اسمی از اسمآء * و چون اصرار رفت حرف اوّل اسم از لسان جاری شد اهل غرفات از مکامن عزّ خود بيرون دويدند و چون بحرف دوم رسيد جميع بر تراب ريختند * در آن وقت ندا از مکمن قرب رسيد زياده بر اين جايز نه * إنّا کنّا شهدآء علی ما فعلوا و حينئذٍ کانوا يفعلون *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(77) O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: “Thus far and no farther.” Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing.

Translation Notes

ای

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

پسر

b-s-r → “SON”

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

انصاف

n-ṣ-f → “JUSTICE”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ليل

l-y-l → “night-season”

literal: night; darkness

جمال

j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

هيکل

h-y-k-l

literal: temple; structure; form; body

بقا

b-q-y → “immortal Being” Distinctive

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

عقبه

ʿ-q-b → “retribution” Distinctive

literal: outcome; end; result; consequence

زمرّدی

z-m-r-d → “emerald”

literal: emerald; emerald-hued

وفا

w-f-y → “fidelity”

literal: faithfulness; covenant-keeping; loyalty

بسدره

s-d-r → “Tree”

literal: lote-tree; divine tree

منتهی

n-h-y

literal: stinking, foul-smelling; stench

رجوع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

نمود

n-m-ʾ → “hath”

literal: to become; to be

گريست

g-r-y → “wept”

literal: to weep; to cry; to lament

گريستنی

g-r-y → “weep”

literal: to weep; to cry; to lament

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

ملأ

m-l-ʾ

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

عالين

ʿ-l-w → “on high”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

کروبين

k-r-b → “Cherubim”

literal: Cherubim; the celestial beings

ناله

n-ʾ-l → “sighs”

literal: moaning; lamentation; cry; complaint

او

h-w-w → “His”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

بعد

b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

سبب

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

نوحه

n-w-ḥ

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

ندبه

n-d-b → “lament”

literal: lamentation; wailing; mourning

استفسار

f-s-r → “interpreted” Distinctive

literal: interpretation; inquiry; commentary

شد

sh-d → “was”

literal: to become; to be

مذکور

dh-k-r → “mentioned”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

داشت

d-ʾ-sh-t → “have no” Distinctive

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

حسب

ḥ-s-b

literal: according to; in accordance with; as regards

الأمر

ʾ-m-r → “bidden” Distinctive

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

منتظر

n-ẓ-r → “expectant”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

ماندم

m-ʾ-n-d

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

رائحه

r-w-ḥ → “fragrance”

literal: banner; standard; flag; sign; banner, standard, flag, ensign

اهل

ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

نيافتم

y-ʾ-f → “discover the things”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

آهنگ

ʾ-h-n-g

literal: intention; intent

نمودم

n-m-w → “have”

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

ملحوظ

l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: to observe; to consider; to note; observation

افتاد

f-t-d → “fallen”

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

حمامات

ḥ-m-m → “doves”

literal: dove; pigeon

قدسی

q-d-s → “holiness”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

چند

ch-n-d → “while” Distinctive

literal: some; several; a few; how many

دست

d-s-t → “hand”

literal: hand; control, power, authority

کلاب

k-l-b → “dogs”

literal: dog; dogs

مبتلی

b-l-w → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

اين

ʾ-y-n → “Her” Distinctive

literal: this; these

وقت

w-q-t

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

حوريّه

ḥ-w-r → “Maid”

literal: maiden of paradise; houri

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

قصر

q-ṣ-r → “mansion”

literal: shortcoming; negligence; falling short; to be deficient

بی

b-y

literal: without; is; to

ستر

s-t-r → “unveiled”

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

حجاب

ḥ-j-b

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

دويد

d-w → “two” Distinctive

literal: to run; to hasten; to strive; ran; rushed

سؤال

s-ʾ-l → “asked” Distinctive

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

اسامی

s-m-w → “names”

literal: name; title; designation

ايشان

ʾ-y-sh

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

الّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

چون

ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

اصرار

ṣ-r-r → “urged”

literal: creaking sound; shrill voice; grating noise

رفت

r-f-t → “fled”

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

حرف

ḥ-r-f → “letter”

literal: letter; character; edge

اوّل

ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

لسان

l-s-n

literal: tongue; language

جاری

j-r-y → “flow”

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

غرفات

gh-r-f → “chambers”

literal: chamber; room; elevated chamber

مکامن

k-m-n → “repository” Distinctive

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

عزّ

ʿ-z-z

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

خود

kh-w-d → “their”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

بيرون

b-r-n → “showers” Distinctive

literal: outside; out; forth

دوم

d-w-m → “as long as”

literal: always; continually; perpetually; constantly

رسيد

r-s-d → “reached”

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: outside; out; forth

تراب

t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

ريختند

r-y-z → “rot”

literal: to fall apart; scatter; pour

آن

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ندا

n-d-w → “voice”

literal: call; voice; proclamation; forty; forty years

قرب

q-r-b → “nearness”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

زياده

z-y-d → “increase” Distinctive

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

جايز

j-w-z → “transgressed” Distinctive

literal: permissible; allowed; possible; fair; lawful

کنّا

k-w-n → “be”

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

شهدآء

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

ما

m-ʾ

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

فعلوا

f-ʿ-l → “done”

literal: to do, act, make; deed, action

حينئذٍ

ḥ-y-n → “moment”

literal: time; moment; while; season

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶