Will and Testament — §28

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 28 of 59.

Source (Persian)

ای احبّای الهی باید سریر سلطنت هر تاجدار عادلی را خاضع گردید و سدّۀ ملوکانی هر شهریار کامل را خاشع شوید بپادشاهان در نهایت صداقت و امانت خدمت نمائید و مطیع و خیرخواه باشید و در امور سیاسی بدون اذن و اجازه از ایشان مداخله ننمائید زیرا خیانت با هر پادشاه عادلی خیانت با خداست

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon you to be submissive to all monarchs that are just and to show your fidelity to every righteous king. Serve ye the sovereigns of the world with utmost truthfulness and loyalty. Show obedience unto them and be their well-wishers. Without their leave and permission do not meddle with political affairs, for disloyalty to the just sovereign is disloyalty to God Himself.

Translation Notes

ای

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

احبّای

ḥ-b-b → “ye beloved”

literal: love; affection

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “of the Lord” Distinctive

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

باید

b-y-d → “incumbent upon”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

سریر

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

سلطنت

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

عادلی

ʿ-d-l → “that are just”

literal: justice; equity

را

r-ʾ-ʾ → “to”

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

خاضع

kh-ḍ-ʿ → “submissiveness”

literal: humility; submissiveness; lowliness

گردید

literal: Persian verb گردیدن (to become/turn), not from Arabic ك-ر-د

سدّۀ

s-d-d → “closed” Distinctive

literal: threshold; barrier; seat of authority

ملوکانی

m-l-k → “Kingdom” Distinctive

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

شهریار

sh-h-r → “well-known”

literal: city; month; fame, renown

کامل

literal: desire; appetite; lust; will; heap; hill; mound

خاشع

literal: fear of God; awe; reverence; submission

شوید

literal: to become; to be

بپادشاهان

p-ʾ-d-sh-ʾ-h → “Sháh”

literal: sovereign; monarch; king

در

literal: in; in, at; radiant

نهایت

n-h-y → “utmost”

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final

صداقت

ṣ-d-q → “truthfulness”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

امانت

ʾ-m-n → “faith” Distinctive

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure

خدمت

literal: service; servitude; to serve

مطیع

ṭ-w-ʿ → “Show obedience unto them” Distinctive

literal: to obey; to comply with

خیرخواه

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness

باشید

literal: to be; to exist; to remain

امور

ʾ-m-r → “affairs”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

سیاسی

s-y-s → “political”

literal: politics; political; governance; administration

بدون

d-w-n → “Without”

literal: without; apart from; besides

اذن

ʾ-dh-n → “leave”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

اجازه

j-w-z → “transgressed” Distinctive

literal: permissible; allowed; possible; fair; lawful

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

ایشان

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

مداخله

d-kh-l → “meddle”

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

ننمائید

n-m-ʾ → “do not”

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

زیرا

z-y-r → “for”

literal: because; since; for; inasmuch as

خیانت

kh-w-n → “disloyalty”

literal: blood

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “to”

literal: to; with; by

خداست

literal: God; the Divine

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