The Hidden Words — §22

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 22 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢١) ﴿ يَا ابْنَ البَشَرِ ﴾ قَدَّرْتُ لَكَ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ الأَبْهَى الْفَواكِهَ الأَصْفى، كَيْفَ أَعْرَضْتَ عَنْهُ وَرَضِيتَ بِالَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى، فارْجِعْ إِلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ فِي الأُفُقِ الأَعْلَى.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(21) O SON OF MAN! Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.

Translation Notes

ابْنَ

ibn b-n-y → “son”

literal: son; sons

son 94% descendant 2% sons 1% scion 1% daughter 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: edifice gleaningsGWB §452: their sons kitab-i-iqanKIQ §88: Son of Mary prayers-and-meditationsP&M §691: and the daughter the-hidden-wordsHW §70: SONS will-and-testamentW&T §1: His Divine Edifice epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §98: the Son gleaningsGWB §454: the descendant

البَشَرِ

al-bashar b-sh-r → “of man”

literal: human

man 44% mankind 22% unto 11% human 11% apprise 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: Evangel gleaningsGWB §672: Announce unto yourselves kitab-i-iqanKIQ §70: announceth prayers-and-meditationsP&M §652: bring me joy the-hidden-wordsHW §34: hail will-and-testamentW&T §35: rejoiced epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §141: Herald gleaningsGWB §464: announce unto you tidings

قَدَّرْتُ

qaddart q-d-r → “i have hung” Distinctive

literal: power; powerful

This form usually rendered as “power”, “thou”, “might” (157 occurrences)

SE expanded to “I have hung”

power 49% thou 18% might 8% decreed 5% didst 4% ordain 4% ordained 4% omnipotence 3% divine 2% have 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: might fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §67: the greatness of kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §23: prize prayers-and-meditationsP&M §447: the potency of Whose might tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: are not tablet-of-carmelCarmel §5: the Mighty, the All-Powerful

لَكَ

lak l → “for thee”

literal: for; for you; for him

5 occurrences in corpus

kitab-i-iqanKIQ §190: His is

الشَّجَرِ

ash-shajar sh-j-r

literal: tree; trees

SE rendered قَدَّرْتُ (qaddart), لَكَ (lak), الشَّجَرِ (ash-shajar), الأَبْهَى (al-ʾabhá), الْفَواكِهَ (al-fawákih) as “I have hung, for thee, effulgent glory, the choicest fruits”

tree 70% burning 11% blessedness 2% neither 2% “the 2% blessed 2% same 2% tree—which 2% divine 2% “tree 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: its trees gleaningsGWB §36: blessed Tree kitab-i-iqanKIQ §220: the divine Tree prayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: the corrupt tree will-and-testamentW&T §57: Lote-Trees epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §229: neither of the East gleaningsGWB §36: of the tree kitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: “Tree

الأَبْهَى

al-ʾabhá b-h-w → “effulgent glory” Distinctive

literal: glory; most glorious; most-glorious

This form usually rendered as “all-glorious”, “most”, “glorious” (62 occurrences)

all-glorious 63% most 12% glorious 7% abhá 7% effulgent 5% immortality 2% glory 2% brightest 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §204: are verily glorious gleaningsGWB §30: the All-Glorious prayers-and-meditationsP&M §760: the Most Glorious the-hidden-wordsHW §22: effulgent glory will-and-testamentW&T §14: Abhá epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §213: splendor gleaningsGWB §661: of Glory prayers-and-meditationsP&M §239: the brightest realities

الْفَواكِهَ

al-fawákih f-k-h → “the choicest fruits”

literal: fruit; fruits

SE expanded to “the choicest fruits”

fruits 67% choicest 33%

kitab-i-iqanKIQ §220: the everlasting and goodly prayers-and-meditationsP&M §406: the fruits the-hidden-wordsHW §22: the choicest fruits

الأَصْفى،

aṣ-ṣfى، ṣ-f-w

literal: chosen ones; chosen-ones

SE rendered الأَبْهَى (al-ʾabhá), الْفَواكِهَ (al-fawákih), الأَصْفى، (aṣ-ṣfى،), كَيْفَ (kayf), أَعْرَضْتَ (ʾaʿraḍt) as “effulgent glory, the choicest fruits, wherefore, hast thou turned away”

messengers 25% chosen 25% divine 25% crystal 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: His chosen ones fire-tabletFire §27: and gleaningsGWB §477: chosen thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §107: attributes prayers-and-meditationsP&M §846: Thine elect the-hidden-wordsHW §100: crystal pure will-and-testamentW&T §45: Thy Holy Ones epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §12: sincerity

أَعْرَضْتَ

ʾaʿraḍt ʿ-r-ḍ → “hast thou turned away”

literal: turn away; turning away

SE expanded to “hast thou turned away”

hast 40% turned 20% perverting 20% thee 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: withdrawn from gleaningsGWB §629: renounced kitab-i-iqanKIQ §6: protestations prayers-and-meditationsP&M §529: and cavil at tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §14: turns away the-hidden-wordsHW §22: hast thou turned away will-and-testamentW&T §17: oppose and protest epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: protest

عَنْهُ

ʿanh ʿ-n

literal: from; from, about; about

SE rendered كَيْفَ (kayf), أَعْرَضْتَ (ʾaʿraḍt), عَنْهُ (ʿanh), وَرَضِيتَ (waraḍít), بِالَّذِي (biálladhí) as “wherefore, hast thou turned away, and contented thyself, with that which”