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The Hidden Words — §160

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

Source (Arabic)

عروس معانی بديعه که ورای پرده‌های بيان مستور و پنهان بود بعنايت الهی و الطاف ربّانی چون شعاع منير جمال دوست ظاهر و هويدا شد * شهادت ميدهم ای دوستان که نعمت تمام و حجّت کامل و برهان ظاهر و دليل ثابت آمد ديگر تا همّت شما از مراتب انقطاع چه ظاهر نمايد * کذلک تمّت النّعمة عليکم و علی من فی السّموات و الأرضين و الحمد للّه ربّ العالمين *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere this beneath the veiling of utterance, hath now, by the grace of God and His divine favor, been made manifest even as the resplendent light shed by the beauty of the Beloved. I bear witness, O friends! that the favor is complete, the argument fulfilled, the proof manifest and the evidence established. Let it now be seen what your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal. In this wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto you and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All praise to God, the Lord of all Worlds.

Translation Notes

عروس
ʿ-r-s → “bride”

literal: bride; bridegroom; resplendent

بديعه
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

که
k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

ورای
w-r-y → “men” Distinctive

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

پرده‌های
p-r-d → “established” Distinctive

literal: veil; have devoted; occupy

بيان
b-y-n → “utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

مستور
s-t-r → “hidden”

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

پنهان
p-n-h

literal: hidden; concealed; to hide

بود
b-w-d

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

بعنايت
ʿ-n-y → “by the grace”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

الهی
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

الطاف
l-ṭ-f → “divine favor” Distinctive

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

چون
ch-w-n → “As”

literal: since; when; as

شعاع
sh-ʿ-ʿ → “gleaming” Distinctive

literal: ray; light; beam; radiance

منير
n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

جمال
j-m-l → “beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

دوست
d-w-s-t → “Beloved”

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

ظاهر
ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

هويدا
h-w-y

literal: cradle; bed; couch; resting place

شد
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

شهادت
sh-h-d → “bear witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

ميدهم
d-ʾ-d

literal: give; to give; given

ای
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

نعمت
n-ʿ-m → “favor” Distinctive

literal: bliss; bounty; grace; comfort; felicity

تمام
t-m-m → “complete”

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

حجّت
ḥ-j-j → “testimony”

literal: path, way; clear path

کامل
k-m-l → “perfect”

literal: desire; appetite; lust; will; heap; hill; mound

برهان
b-r-h → “proof”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

دليل
d-l-l → “evidence”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

ثابت
th-b-t → “established”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

آمد
ʾ-m-d

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

ديگر
d-g-r

literal: home; place; land; abode

تا
t-y-y

literal: so that/until

همّت
h-m-m → “endeavors”

literal: them (feminine or general); by them; through them

شما
sh-m-ʾ → “your”

literal: you (plural); your

از
ʾ-z → “in” Distinctive

literal: from

مراتب
r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

انقطاع
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment”

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

چه
ch-h → “For”

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

نمايد
n-m-ʾ → “will reveal” Distinctive

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

کذلک
dh-l-k → “In this wise” Distinctive

literal: thus; likewise; also

عليکم
ʿ-l-y → “unto you”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

علی
ʿ-l-w → “unto them”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

من
m-n

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

فی
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

السّموات
s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

الأرضين
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

الحمد
ḥ-m-d → “All praise”

literal: praise; to praise

ربّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

العالمين
ʿ-l-m → “all Worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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