The Hidden Words — §51

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 51 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٥٠) ﴿ يَا ابْنَ الإِنْسَانِ ﴾ إِنْ لَا يُصيبُكَ البَلاءُ فِي سَبِيْلِي كَيْفَ تَسْلُكُ سُبُلَ الرَّاضِينَ فِي رِضائِي، وَإِنْ لَا تَمَسُّكَ المَشَقَّةُ شَوْقًا لِلِقائِي كَيْفَ يُصِيبُكَ النُّورُ حُبّاً لِجَمالِي.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(50) O SON OF MAN! If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?

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 §136: Our sons gleaningsGWB §453: Him kitab-i-iqanKIQ §24: by prayers-and-meditationsP&M §602: their children the-hidden-wordsHW §123: CHILDREN will-and-testamentW&T §1: His Divine Edifice epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §98: the Son gleaningsGWB §452: their sons

الإِنْسَانِ

an-nsán ʾ-n-s → “man”

literal: man; human

man 90% men 5% two 2% within 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §134: been My companion gleaningsGWB §441: No two men prayers-and-meditationsP&M §415: is my solace the-hidden-wordsHW §35: joyful tidings of reunion epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: man gleaningsGWB §69: and My companion prayers-and-meditationsP&M §448: of Thy fellowship the-hidden-wordsHW §93: life

يُصيبُكَ

yuṣíbuk ṣ-y-b → “fall” Distinctive

literal: befall; befall/strike

This form usually rendered as “adversity”, “wilt” (2 occurrences)

adversity 50% wilt 50%

gleaningsGWB §619: the woes prayers-and-meditationsP&M §422: tribulations the-hidden-wordsHW §51: wilt thou attain will-and-testamentW&T §35: tribulation gleaningsGWB §451: fall upon the-hidden-wordsHW §51: adversity befall thee will-and-testamentW&T §49: distress the-hidden-wordsHW §53: befall

البَلاءُ

al-baláʾ b-l-w

literal: tribulation; affliction; trial

SE rendered الإِنْسَانِ (an-nsán), يُصيبُكَ (yuṣíbuk), البَلاءُ (al-baláʾ), سَبِيْلِي (sabílí), كَيْفَ (kayf), تَسْلُكُ (tasluk) as “MAN, adversity befall thee, My path, how, canst thou walk”

tribulation 42% adversity 13% woe 13% affliction 8% tribulations 8% troubles 4% trials 4% orient 4% afflictions 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §29: tribulation fire-tabletFire §39: calamity gleaningsGWB §67: afflicted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §133: victims prayers-and-meditationsP&M §388: trouble the-hidden-wordsHW §154: tried will-and-testamentW&T §3: a victim epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: the tribulations

سَبِيْلِي

sabílí s-b-l → “my path”

literal: path; path/way

path 57% doubt 14% sake.’ 14% never 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: thy way gleaningsGWB §599: systems kitab-i-iqanKIQ §247: for the sake of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §624: the paths the-hidden-wordsHW §51: My path will-and-testamentW&T §3: shed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: way gleaningsGWB §97: door

تَسْلُكُ

tasluk s-l-k → “canst thou walk”

literal: walk

SE expanded to “canst thou walk”

walk 27% behavior 9% walked 9% wayfarer 9% deal 9% following 9% may 9% ways 9% canst 9%

gleaningsGWB §36: walk kitab-i-iqanKIQ §203: following prayers-and-meditationsP&M §261: may tread the-hidden-wordsHW §51: canst thou walk gleaningsGWB §35: behavior prayers-and-meditationsP&M §308: and walk gleaningsGWB §601: Deal prayers-and-meditationsP&M §531: and the ways

الرَّاضِينَ

ar-ráḍín r-ḍ-y → “them that are content”

literal: pleasure; pleasure/satisfaction; pleasure, satisfaction

SE expanded to “them that are content”

god’s 50% content 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §197: praiseworthy fire-tabletFire §48: Thy pleasure gleaningsGWB §621: of His good-pleasure kitab-i-iqanKIQ §233: good-pleasure prayers-and-meditationsP&M §261: wholly satisfied the-hidden-wordsHW §119: his own will will-and-testamentW&T §8: submitted to His Will epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: upright

تَمَسُّكَ

tamassuk m-s-k → “cleave”

literal: hold fast; clinging; cling

cleave 29% clung 23% cleaveth 11% take 9% hold 9% have 6% lay 6% laid 3% will 3% seized 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §146: lay fast hold gleaningsGWB §396: cleave ye tenaciously kitab-i-iqanKIQ §76: “Cling prayers-and-meditationsP&M §598: and taken hold tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §2: Launch epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §195: laid fast hold thereon gleaningsGWB §719: Hold ye fast kitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: Clinging unto

المَشَقَّةُ

al-mashaqqah sh-q-q

literal: split; hardship; discord

SE rendered رِضائِي، (riḍáʾí،), تَمَسُّكَ (tamassuk), المَشَقَّةُ (al-mashaqqah), شَوْقًا (shawqan), لِلِقائِي (liliqáʾí), كَيْفَ (kayf) as “My pleasure, trials afflict thee, thy longing, to meet Me, how”