The Hidden Words — §96

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 96 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢١) ﴿ ای خاک متحرّک ﴾ من بتو مأنوسم و تو از من مأيوس * سيف عصيان شجره اميد ترا بريده * و در جميع حال بتو نزديکم و تو در جميع احوال از من دور * و من عزّت بيزوال برای تو اختيار نمودم و تو ذلّت بی منتهی برای خود پسنديدی * آخر تا وقت باقی مانده رجوع کن و فرصت را مگذار *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(21) O MOVING FORM OF DUST! I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me. The sword of thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy hope. At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me. Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself. While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy chance.

Translation Notes

ای

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

خاک

kh-ʾ-k → “DUST”

literal: dust; earth; soil; ground

متحرّک

ḥ-r-k → “move” Distinctive

literal: movement; motion; trembling

من

m-n → “I” Distinctive

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

بتو

t-w-w → “thou”

literal: you

مأنوسم

ʾ-n-s → “man” Distinctive

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

مأيوس

y-ʾ-s → “despair” Distinctive

literal: despair; to despair; hopeless; to lose hope; hopelessness

سيف

s-y-f → “sword”

literal: sword

عصيان

ʿ-ṣ-y → “transgressed”

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

شجره

sh-j-r → “tree”

literal: tree

اميد

ʾ-m-d → “hope”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

ترا

t-r-r → “thy”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

بريده

b-r-d → “brother” Distinctive

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

حال

literal: state; condition; circumstance

نزديکم

n-z-d → “unto” Distinctive

literal: near; near, with; near/with

دور

d-w-r → “far”

literal: cycle; dispensation; age; turn; round

عزّت

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

بيزوال

z-w-l → “at all times” Distinctive

literal: cease; to cease; decline

برای

b-r-y → “for thee”

literal: for; on; briefly

اختيار

kh-y-r → “chosen”

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

نمودم

n-m-w → “have”

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

ذلّت

dh-l-l → “shame”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

بی

b-y → “boundless”

literal: without; is; to

منتهی

literal: stinking, foul-smelling; stench

خود

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

پسنديدی

p-s-n-d → “praiseworthy” Distinctive

literal: approve-not; to approve, wish; approve

آخر

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

تا

literal: so that/until

وقت

w-q-t → “time”

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

باقی

b-q-y → “yet” Distinctive

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

مانده

literal: remain; remained; to remain

رجوع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

کن

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

فرصت

f-r-ṣ → “chance”

literal: opportunity; chance

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

مگذار

g-dh-r → “renounced” Distinctive

literal: pass; place; passed

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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