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The Hidden Words — §97

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 97 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢٢) ﴿ ای پسر هوی ﴾ اهل دانش و بينش سالها کوشيدند و بوصال ذی الجلال فائز نگشتند و عمرها دويدند و بلقای ذی الجمال نرسيدند * و تو نادويده بمنزل رسيده و ناطلبيده بمطلب واصل شدی * و بعد از جميع اين مقام و رتبه بحجاب نفس خود چنان محتجب ماندی که چشمت بجمال دوست نيفتاد و دستت بدامن يار نرسيد * فتعجّبوا من ذلک يا اولی الأبصار *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(22) O SON OF DESIRE! The learned and the wise have for long years striven and failed to attain the presence of the All-Glorious; they have spent their lives in search of Him, yet did not behold the beauty of His countenance. Thou without the least effort didst attain thy goal, and without search hast obtained the object of thy quest. Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst remain so wrapt in the veil of self, that thine eyes beheld not the beauty of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch the hem of His robe. Ye that have eyes, behold and wonder.

Translation Notes

ای
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

پسر
b-s-r → “SON”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

هوی
h-w-y → “DESIRE”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

اهل
ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

دانش
d-n-sh → “and” Distinctive

literal: to know; to understand

بينش
b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

سالها
s-n-h → “for long years”

literal: most beautiful; finest; highest

کوشيدند
k-w-sh → “striven”

literal: effort; endeavour; exertion; striving; to strive; to endeavor; to toil; to struggle; to attempt

بوصال
w-ṣ-l → “to attain the presence” Distinctive

literal: spearheads; lance points

ذی
dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

الجلال
j-l-l → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

فائز
f-w-z

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

نگشتند
g-sh-t → “have been”

literal: to become; to happen; to come to pass

عمرها
ʿ-m-r → “their lives”

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

دويدند
d-w → “two” Distinctive

literal: to run; to hasten; to strive; ran; rushed

بلقای
l-q-y → “Presence”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

الجمال
j-m-l → “the beauty of”

literal: beauty; comeliness

نرسيدند
r-s-d → “reached” Distinctive

literal: to arrive; to reach; to attain; to come

تو
t-w-w → “thou”

literal: you

نادويده
d-w-y → “two” Distinctive

literal: to run; to hasten; to strive; ran; rushed

بمنزل
n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

ناطلبيده
ṭ-l-b → “search”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

شدی
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

بعد
b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

جميع
j-m-ʿ

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

اين
ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

مقام
q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

رتبه
r-t-b

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

بحجاب
ḥ-j-b → “veil”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

نفس
n-f-s → “of self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

خود
kh-w-d

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

چنان
ch-n-ʾ → “how” Distinctive

literal: thus; in such manner; as

ماندی
m-ʾ-n → “thou didst remain”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

که
k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

چشمت
ch-sh-n → “thine eyes”

literal: eye

دوست
d-w-s-t → “Beloved”

literal: friend; beloved; to befriend

نيفتاد
f-t-d → “fallen” Distinctive

literal: fall; fallen; fell

دستت
d-s-t-n → “thy hand”

literal: hand

بدامن
d-m-n → “hem”

literal: hem

يار
y-ʾ-r → “Beloved—the”

literal: friend; companion; loved one (pl. یاران)

فتعجّبوا
ʿ-j-b → “strange” Distinctive

literal: wonder; strange; wonder, marvel

من
m-n

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

ذلک
dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

يا
y-ʾ

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

اولی
ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

الأبصار
b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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