The Hidden Words — §159

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 159 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٨٢) ﴿ ای بنده من ﴾ بهترين ناس آنانند که باقتراف تحصيل کنند و صرف خود و ذوی القربی نمايند حبّاً للّه ربّ العالمين *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(82) O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Translation Notes

بنده

bndh b-n-d → “servant”

literal: servant; servants

servant 67% both 11% bond 11% fetters 11%

gleaningsGWB §687: Set not kitab-i-iqanKIQ §147: Chained up the-hidden-wordsHW §116: fetters will-and-testamentW&T §27: His creatures gleaningsGWB §332: servants kitab-i-iqanKIQ §213: cleave the-hidden-wordsHW §152: bondslaves gleaningsGWB §674: chains

ناس

nás n-ʾ-s → “men”

literal: people; people, mankind; people/mankind

men 38% people 34% others 8% mankind 5% all 4% peoples 3% fellowmen 2% neighbor 2% men’s 1% wayward 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §192: men gleaningsGWB §626: your fellowmen kitab-i-iqanKIQ §13: men in their quest will-and-testamentW&T §34: the souls of men epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §40: of others gleaningsGWB §622: their kitab-i-iqanKIQ §26: the adherents epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §44: others

باقتراف

báqtráf q-r-f → “calling”

literal: earning

1 occurrence in corpus

the-hidden-wordsHW §159: by their calling

تحصيل

tḥṣíl ḥ-ṣ-l → “attained” Distinctive

literal: obtained; result; acquisition

This form usually rendered as “pursuit”, “such”, “earn” (4 occurrences)

pursuit 33% such 33% earn 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §48: acquisition gleaningsGWB §356: found kitab-i-iqanKIQ §154: the pursuit the-hidden-wordsHW §159: earn a livelihood epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §33: having obtained gleaningsGWB §603: your object is attained kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: is attained epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §22: attained

کنند

knnd k-r-d

literal: do; to do; do, make

SE rendered ناس (nás), آنانند (ánánnd), باقتراف (báqtráf), تحصيل (tḥṣíl), کنند (knnd), صرف (ṣrf), ذوی (dhúy), القربی (al-qrbí) as “men, are, by their calling, earn a livelihood, spend, upon their, kindred”

appreciate 14% lead 14% after 14% themselves 14% toward 14% should 14% give 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §76: feeleth gleaningsGWB §677: suffer not kitab-i-iqanKIQ §240: knoweth the-hidden-wordsHW §93: forgotten will-and-testamentW&T §3: offered epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §255: to recount gleaningsGWB §145: conduct kitab-i-iqanKIQ §233: lead

صرف

ṣrf ṣ-r-f → “lay” Distinctive

literal: pure

This form usually rendered as “pure”, “absolute”, “utter” (37 occurrences)

pure 20% absolute 13% utter 13% essence 13% spent 7% supreme 7% incorruptible 7% sheer 7% vary 7% utterly 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §105: treatment gleaningsGWB §103: Supreme kitab-i-iqanKIQ §161: pure abstraction prayers-and-meditationsP&M §813: meddling the-hidden-wordsHW §119: lay hands will-and-testamentW&T §27: be expended for epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §25: Divine gleaningsGWB §68: alter

ذوی

dhúy dh-w-y → “man” Distinctive

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

This form usually rendered as “kinsmen” (6 occurrences)

man 14% beings 14% word 14% discerning 14% any 14% one 14% kinsmen 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §138: man gleaningsGWB §286: word prayers-and-meditationsP&M §602: their will-and-testamentW&T §32: my kinsmen gleaningsGWB §302: discerning prayers-and-meditationsP&M §754: one gleaningsGWB §13: beings prayers-and-meditationsP&M §279: and my

القربی

al-qrbí q-r-b → “kindred”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

draw 26% nearness 15% presence 13% nigh 10% approach 9% kindred 8% near 5% who 5% favored 5% proximity 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §115: Thy presence fire-tabletFire §3: ocean gleaningsGWB §371: some are near kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: Kindred kitab-i-iqanKIQ §66: hour draweth nigh prayers-and-meditationsP&M §669: hast failed to approach tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: favoured the-hidden-wordsHW §11: near unto thee

نمايند

nmáynd n-m-ʾ

literal: do; show; make

SE rendered صرف (ṣrf), ذوی (dhúy), القربی (al-qrbí), نمايند (nmáynd), حبّاً (ḥbbáan), للّه (lllh), ربّ (rbb), العالمين (al-ʿálmín) as “spend, upon their, kindred, for the love, God, Lord, of all worlds”