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The Hidden Words — §76

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 76 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢) ﴿ ای پسر روحهر طيری را نظر بر آشيان است و هر بلبلی را مقصود جمال گل مگر طيور افئده عباد که بتراب فانی قانع شده از آشيان باقی دور مانده‌اند و بگِلهای بعد توجّه نموده از گُلهای قرب محروم گشته‌اند * زهی حيرت و حسرت و افسوس و دريغ که بابريقی از امواج بحر رفيق اعلی گذشته‌اند و از افق ابهی دور مانده‌اند *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(2) O SON OF SPIRIT! The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the charm of the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts of men, content with transient dust, have strayed far from their eternal nest, and with eyes turned towards the slough of heedlessness are bereft of the glory of the divine presence. Alas! How strange and pitiful; for a mere cupful, they have turned away from the billowing seas of the Most High, and remained far from the most effulgent horizon.

Translation Notes

هر
hr h-r “the”

literal: every; every/each; each

SE rendered پسر (psr)روح (rúḥ)هر (hr)طيری (ṭírí)نظر (nẓr)بر (br)آشيان (áshíán)هر (hr) as “SON, SPIRIT, the, bird, seeketh, nest”

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered پسر (psr)روح (rúḥ)هر (hr)طيری (ṭírí)نظر (nẓr)بر (br)آشيان (áshíán)هر (hr)بلبلی (blblí)مقصود (mqṣúd) as “SON, SPIRIT, the, bird, seeketh, nest, nightingale, the charm”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
زهی
zhí z-h-y

literal: bravo/alas

SE rendered گُلهای (gulháy)قرب (qrb)محروم (mḥrúm)گشته‌اند (gshth‌ánd)زهی (zhí)حيرت (ḥírt)حسرت (ḥsrt)افسوس (ifsús)دريغ (drígh) as “the glory, presence, bereft, are, strange, Alas, pitiful”

1 occurrence in corpus

حسرت
ḥsrt ḥ-s-r

literal: regret; regret/grief; regret, misery

SE rendered محروم (mḥrúm)گشته‌اند (gshth‌ánd)زهی (zhí)حيرت (ḥírt)حسرت (ḥsrt)افسوس (ifsús)دريغ (drígh)بابريقی (bábríqí)از (iz) as “bereft, are, strange, Alas, pitiful, a mere cupful, from”

how 25% regret 25% envy 25% envious 25%
افسوس
ifsús ʾ-s-f “regret”

literal: regret

2 occurrences in corpus

دريغ
drígh d-r-gh “pitiful”

literal: withhold; withholding, regret

4 occurrences in corpus

بحر
bḥr b-ḥ-r

literal: sea; ocean; sea, ocean

SE rendered دريغ (drígh)بابريقی (bábríqí)از (iz)امواج (imúáj)بحر (bḥr)رفيق (rfíq)اعلی (iʿlí)گذشته‌اند (gdhshth‌ánd)از (iz)افق (ifq) as “pitiful, a mere cupful, from, billowing seas, Most High, have turned away, most effulgent horizon”

ocean 76% sea 16% waters 2% most 1% billowing 1% where 1% outpouring 1% rushing 1% oceans 1% seeking 1%
رفيق
rfíq r-f-q

literal: companion; to-companion; friend

SE rendered دريغ (drígh)بابريقی (bábríqí)از (iz)امواج (imúáj)بحر (bḥr)رفيق (rfíq)اعلی (iʿlí)گذشته‌اند (gdhshth‌ánd)از (iz)افق (ifq) as “pitiful, a mere cupful, from, billowing seas, Most High, have turned away, most effulgent horizon”

unto 29% companion 29% glory 14% letter 14% friend 14%
ابهی
ibhí b-h-w

literal: glory; most glorious; most-glorious

SE rendered اعلی (iʿlí)گذشته‌اند (gdhshth‌ánd)از (iz)افق (ifq)ابهی (ibhí)دور (dúr)مانده‌اند (mándh‌ánd) as “Most High, have turned away, from, most effulgent horizon, far, remained”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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