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Gleanings — §135

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 135 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

فانظر بطرف البدء فیما نظرت إلی آدم الأولی ثمّ من بعده إلی أن یصل الأمر إلی عَلِيٍّ قبل نبیل قل تالله کلّهم قد جاؤوا عن مشرق الأمر بکتاب وصحیفة ولوح عظیم واوتوا کلّ واحد منهم علی ما قدّر لهم وهذا من فضلنا علیهم إن أنتم من العارفین...حتّی إذا بلغ الأمر إلی وجهه العزیز المقدّس المتعالي المنیر إِذًا احتجب نفسه في ألف حجاب لئلّا یعرفه من أحد بعد الّذي کان ینزل علیه الآیات من کلّ الجهات وما أحصاها أحد إلّا الله ربّک وربّ العالمین فلمّا تمّ میقات السّتر إِذًا أظهرنا عن خلف ألف ألف حجاب من النّور نورًا من أنوار وجه الغلام أقلّ من سَمِّ الإبرة إِذًا انصعقت أهل ملأ العالین ثمّ سجدت وجوه المقرّبین وظهر بشأن ما ظهر مثله في الإبداع بحیث قام بنفسه بین السّموات والأرضین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a divinely revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely foreordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth.… And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him — signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.

Translation Notes

بطرف
bṭrf ṭ-r-f “with”

literal: side; regions; sides

SE rendered فانظر (fánẓr)بطرف (bṭrf)البدء (al-bdʾ)فیما (fímá)نظرت (nẓrt)آدم (ádm) as “Contemplate, with, thine inward eye, Adam”

eyes 40% mine 20% some 10% gaze 10% brow 10% parts 10%
فیما
fímá f-y “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

SE rendered فانظر (fánẓr)بطرف (bṭrf)البدء (al-bdʾ)فیما (fímá)نظرت (nẓrt)آدم (ádm) as “Contemplate, with, thine inward eye, Adam”

within 32% whereon 21% under 11% acts 5% throughout 5% upon 5% mortal 5% days 5% over 5% after 5%
الأولی
al-ʾawlí ʾ-w-l

literal: first

SE rendered بطرف (bṭrf)البدء (al-bdʾ)فیما (fímá)نظرت (nẓrt)آدم (ádm)الأولی (al-ʾawlí)بعده (bʿdh)یصل (yṣl)الأمر (al-ʾamr) as “with, thine inward eye, Adam, the chain of successive Revelations”

world 52% life 10% fitting 5% people 5% first 5% present 5% next 5% primal 5% source 5% ye 5%
یصل
yṣl w-ṣ-l

literal: reach

SE rendered آدم (ádm)الأولی (al-ʾawlí)بعده (bʿdh)یصل (yṣl)الأمر (al-ʾamr)نبیل (nbíl)قل (ql) as “Adam, the chain of successive Revelations, the Báb, I testify”

attain 29% reach 29% thou 14% can 14% may 14%
نبیل
nbíl n-b-l “báb”

literal: noble

3 occurrences in corpus

مشرق
mshrq sh-r-q

literal: shining; east; shine

SE rendered قل (ql)تالله (tállh)کلّهم (kllhm)جاؤوا (jáʾúá)مشرق (mshrq)الأمر (al-ʾamr)بکتاب (bktáb)وصحیفة (wṣḥífh)ولوح (wlúḥ)عظیم (ʿẓím) as “I testify, before God, all, sent down, Cause, with a divinely revealed Book, Tablet, mighty”

وصحیفة
wṣḥífh ṣ-ḥ-f

literal: book

SE rendered جاؤوا (jáʾúá)مشرق (mshrq)الأمر (al-ʾamr)بکتاب (bktáb)وصحیفة (wṣḥífh)ولوح (wlúḥ)عظیم (ʿẓím)واوتوا (wáwtúá)واحد (wáḥd) as “sent down, Cause, with a divinely revealed Book, Tablet, mighty, entrusted, of”

book 33% “book 17% sealed 17% companion 17% scroll 17%
واحد
wáḥd w-ḥ-d “of”

literal: one; oneness

SE rendered ولوح (wlúḥ)عظیم (ʿẓím)واوتوا (wáwtúá)واحد (wáḥd)منهم (mnhm)قدّر (qddr)وهذا (whdhá) as “Tablet, mighty, entrusted, of, them, had been definitely foreordained, This, verily, is a token”

one 73% any 8% second 3% another 3% none 3% people.” 3% each 3% one.” 3% successively 3% dust 3%
الجهات
al-jhát j-h-h

literal: direction; direction, side; direction/side

SE rendered ینزل (ynzl)علیه (ʿlíh)الآیات (al-áyát)الجهات (al-jhát)أحصاها (ʾaḥṣáhá)أحد (ʾaḥd)الله (al-lh)ربّک (rbbk) as “were being showered, upon Him, the signs and tokens, reckon, none, God, Lord”

side 25% direction 25% directions 13% attachment 13% every 13% sides 13%
سَمِّ
samm s-m-m

literal: poison; poisons

SE rendered وجه (wjh)الغلام (al-ghlám)أقلّ (ʾaqll)سَمِّ (samm)الإبرة (al-ʾibrh)انصعقت (inṣʿqt)أهل (ʾahl)ملأ (mlʾ) as “enveloping the Face, of the Youth, infinitesimal, seized with violent commotion, men, company”

الإبرة
al-ʾibrh ʾ-b-r

literal: cloud

SE rendered وجه (wjh)الغلام (al-ghlám)أقلّ (ʾaqll)سَمِّ (samm)الإبرة (al-ʾibrh)انصعقت (inṣʿqt)أهل (ʾahl)ملأ (mlʾ)العالین (al-ʿálín) as “enveloping the Face, of the Youth, infinitesimal, seized with violent commotion, men, company, dwellers of the Realms above”

مثله
mthlh m-th-l

literal: like; likeness; example

SE rendered المقرّبین (al-mqrrbín)وظهر (wẓhr)بشأن (bshʾan)ظهر (ẓhr)مثله (mthlh)الإبداع (al-ʾibdáʿ)بحیث (bḥíth)قام (qám)بنفسه (bnfsh) as “favored of God, He hath, verily, manifested, a glory, none, hath witnessed,, inasmuch as, He hath arisen to proclaim, in person”

consider 20% such 15% even 15% like 11% same 9% instance 9% similar 7% what 6% equal 4% likened 4%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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