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The Hidden Words — §157

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 157 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٨٠) ﴿ ای بندگان من ﴾ شما اشجار رضوان منيد بايد باثمار بديعه منيعه ظاهر شويد تا خود و ديگران از شما منتفع شوند * لذا بر کلّ لازم که بصنايع و اکتساب مشغول گردند * اينست اسباب غنا يا اولی الألباب و انّ الأمور معلّقة باسبابها و فضل اللّه يغنيکم بها * و اشجار بی ثمار لايق نار بوده و خواهد بود *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(80) O MY SERVANTS! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you. Trees that yield no fruit have been and will ever be for the fire.

Translation Notes

ای
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

بندگان
b-n-d → “SERVANTS”

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

من
m-n → “MY” Distinctive

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

شما
sh-m-ʾ → “Ye”

literal: you (plural); your

اشجار
sh-j-r → “trees”

literal: tree

رضوان
r-ḍ-w → “garden” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction

بايد
b-y-d → “must”

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

باثمار
th-m-r → “fruits”

literal: fruit; the fruit

بديعه
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

منيعه
m-n-ʿ → “hinder” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

ظاهر
ẓ-h-r → “give forth” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

تا
t-y-y → “that”

literal: so that/until

خود
kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

ديگران
d-g-r → “others”

literal: home; place; land; abode

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

منتفع
n-f-ʿ → “profit”

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

شوند
sh-w-d → “be”

literal: to become; to be

لذا
l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

بر
b-r-r → “on”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

کلّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

لازم
l-z-m → “incumbent”

literal: necessary, incumbent, obligatory, essential

که
k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

بصنايع
ṣ-n-ʿ → “crafts”

literal: fashioning; making; creation; artifice

اکتساب
k-s-b → “have wrought” Distinctive

literal: to acquire, earn, gain; to bring upon (oneself); to gain; to acquire; earning; livelihood

مشغول
sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

گردند
g-r-d

literal: to become; to happen; to come to pass

اينست
h-s-t → “are” Distinctive

literal: is; be; are

اسباب
s-b-b → “means”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

غنا
gh-n-y → “wealth”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

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

اولی
ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

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

الألباب
l-b-b → “understanding”

literal: core; essence; intellect; hearts (of understanding)

انّ
ʾ-n → “For” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الأمور
ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

معلّقة
ʿ-l-q → “dependent”

literal: attachment; connection; relationship

فضل
f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بها
b-h-w → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

بی
b-y → “no”

literal: without; is; to

لايق
l-y-q → “for” Distinctive

literal: worthy, befitting, appropriate, suitable

نار
n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

بوده
b-w-d → “have been” Distinctive

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

خواهد
kh-w-h → “will ever”

literal: will; to wish; to want

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

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