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Gleanings — §168

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 168 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

ای پسر انصاف در لیل جمال هیکل بقا از عقبهٴ زمرّدی وفا بسدرهٴ منتهی رجوع نمود و گریست گریستنی که جمیع ملأ عالین و کرّوبین از نالهٴ او گریستند و بعد از سبب نوحه و ندبه استفسار شد مذکور داشت که حسب الأمر در عقبهٴ وفا منتظر ماندم و رائحهٔ وفا از اهل ارض نیافتم و بعد آهنگ رجوع نمودم ملحوظ افتاد که حمامات قدسی چند در دست کلاب ارض مبتلا شده‌اند در این وقت حوریّهٔ الهی از قصر روحانی بی ستر و حجاب دوید و سؤال از اسامی ایشان نمود و جمیع مذکور شد الّا اسمی از اسماء و چون اصرار رفت حرف اوّل اسم از لسان جاری شد اهل غرفات از مکامن عزّ خود بیرون دویدند و چون بحرف دوم رسید جمیع بر تراب ریختند در آن وقت ندا از مکمن قرب رسید زیاده بر این جایز نه إنّا کنّا شهدآء علی ما فعلوا وحینئذٍ کانوا یفعلون...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Son of Justice! In the night season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of Heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: “Thus far and no farther.” Verily, We bear witness unto that which they have done, and now are doing.

Translation Notes

بقا
bqá b-q-y

literal: remaining; permanence; remain

SE rendered پسر (psr)انصاف (inṣáf)لیل (líl)جمال (jmál)هیکل (híkl)بقا (bqá)از (iz)عقبهٴ (ʿqbhٴ)زمرّدی (zmrrdí)وفا (wfá)بسدرهٴ (bsdrhٴ) as “Son, of Justice, the night season, the beauty, immortal Being, from, emerald height, of fidelity, unto”

زمرّدی
zmrrdí z-m-r-d

literal: emerald

SE rendered لیل (líl)جمال (jmál)هیکل (híkl)بقا (bqá)از (iz)عقبهٴ (ʿqbhٴ)زمرّدی (zmrrdí)وفا (wfá)بسدرهٴ (bsdrhٴ)منتهی (mnthí)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمود (nmúd) as “the night season, the beauty, immortal Being, from, emerald height, of fidelity, unto, the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, hath repaired”

2 occurrences in corpus

نمود
nmúd n-m-ʾ

literal: make

SE rendered وفا (wfá)بسدرهٴ (bsdrhٴ)منتهی (mnthí)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمود (nmúd)گریست (gríst)گریستنی (grístní)جمیع (jmíʿ) as “of fidelity, unto, the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, hath repaired, wept, with such a weeping, the Concourse”

hath 25% chose 13% had 13% have 13% shed 6% aloud 6% dust 6% offered 6% withheld 6% proceeded 6%
گریستنی
grístní g-r-y “weep” Distinctive

literal: weep; weeping

This form usually rendered as “such” (1 occurrences)

weep 20% wept 20% such 20% wailed 20% bewailing 20%
ملأ
mlʾ m-l-ʾ

literal: assembly/people; concourse

SE rendered گریست (gríst)گریستنی (grístní)جمیع (jmíʿ)ملأ (mlʾ)عالین (ʿálín)کرّوبین (krrúbín)از (iz)نالهٴ (nálhٴ) as “wept, with such a weeping, the Concourse, on high, and the dwellers, at His lamenting”

داشت
dásht d-ʾ-sh-t

literal: have; had; to have

SE rendered نوحه (núḥh)ندبه (ndbh)استفسار (istfsár)مذکور (mdhkúr)داشت (dásht)حسب (ḥsb)الأمر (al-ʾamr)عقبهٴ (ʿqbhٴ)وفا (wfá) as “wailing, weeping, was asked, He made reply, As bidden, the hill, of faithfulness”

hath 67% manifested 33%
الأمر
al-ʾamr ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause

SE rendered استفسار (istfsár)مذکور (mdhkúr)داشت (dásht)حسب (ḥsb)الأمر (al-ʾamr)عقبهٴ (ʿqbhٴ)وفا (wfá)منتظر (mntẓr)ماندم (mándm) as “was asked, He made reply, As bidden, the hill, of faithfulness, I waited expectant”

ماندم
mándm m-ʾ-n-d

literal: remain; like; to remain, stay

SE rendered حسب (ḥsb)الأمر (al-ʾamr)عقبهٴ (ʿqbhٴ)وفا (wfá)منتظر (mntẓr)ماندم (mándm)رائحهٔ (ráʾḥh)وفا (wfá)از (iz)اهل (ihl)ارض (irḍ)نیافتم (níáftm) as “As bidden, the hill, of fidelity, I waited expectant, the fragrance, from, them that dwell, on earth, inhaled not”

آهنگ
áhng ʾ-h-n-g

literal: intention; intent

SE rendered وفا (wfá)از (iz)اهل (ihl)ارض (irḍ)نیافتم (níáftm)آهنگ (áhng)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمودم (nmúdm)ملحوظ (mlḥúẓ)افتاد (iftád) as “of fidelity, from, them that dwell, on earth, inhaled not, to return, I beheld, , and lo!”

2 occurrences in corpus

نمودم
nmúdm n-m-w

literal: do; to do; show

SE rendered ارض (irḍ)نیافتم (níáftm)آهنگ (áhng)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمودم (nmúdm)ملحوظ (mlḥúẓ)افتاد (iftád)حمامات (ḥmámát)قدسی (qdsí) as “on earth, inhaled not, to return, I beheld, , and lo!, certain doves, of holiness”

have 50% “i 25% revealed 25%
چند
chnd ch-n-d

literal: some; several; how many, several

SE rendered ملحوظ (mlḥúẓ)افتاد (iftád)حمامات (ḥmámát)قدسی (qdsí)چند (chnd)دست (dst)کلاب (kláb)ارض (irḍ)مبتلا (mbtlá) as “I beheld, , and lo!, certain doves, of holiness, the claws, the dogs, of earth, were sore tried”

thousands 20% who 20% number 20% certain 20% few 20%
کلاب
kláb k-l-b “dogs”

literal: dogs; dog

3 occurrences in corpus

شده‌اند
shdh‌ánd sh-d

literal: become; to become

SE rendered دست (dst)کلاب (kláb)ارض (irḍ)مبتلا (mbtlá)شده‌اند (shdh‌ánd)وقت (wqt)حوریّهٔ (ḥúrírh)الهی (al-hí)از (iz) as “the claws, the dogs, of earth, were sore tried, the Maid of Heaven, from”

become 33% had 33% proceeded 33%
الهی
al-hí ʾ-l-h

literal: God; divine; god

SE rendered وقت (wqt)حوریّهٔ (ḥúrírh)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání)بی (bí)ستر (str) as “the Maid of Heaven, from, mystic mansion, unveiled”

god 64% divine 22% god’s 5% lord 4% holy 2% mystic 1% heavenly 1% grace 1% god-given 1% pertaineth 1%
بی
b-y

literal: without; is; to

SE rendered حوریّهٔ (ḥúrírh)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání)بی (bí)ستر (str)حجاب (ḥjáb)دوید (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí) as “the Maid of Heaven, from, mystic mansion, unveiled, hastened forth, asked, of their names”

5 occurrences in corpus

حجاب
ḥjáb ḥ-j-b

literal: veil; veiled; veils

SE rendered از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání)بی (bí)ستر (str)حجاب (ḥjáb)دوید (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí) as “from, mystic mansion, unveiled, hastened forth, asked, of their names”

ایشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh

literal: they; they, them; they/them

SE rendered دوید (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí)ایشان (iyshán)نمود (nmúd)جمیع (jmíʿ)مذکور (mdhkúr) as “hastened forth, asked, of their names, all were told”

3 occurrences in corpus

رفت
rft r-f-t

literal: go; to go; gone

SE rendered اسمی (ismí)از (iz)اسماء (ismáʾ)چون (chún)اصرار (iṣrár)رفت (rft)حرف (ḥrf)اوّل (iwwl)اسم (ism)از (iz)لسان (lsán)جاری (járí) as “one, when, urged, the first letter, thereof, was uttered”

fled 17% repaired 17% joined 17% left 17% visited 17% hath 17%
اوّل
iwwl ʾ-w-l

literal: first; firstness; beginning

SE rendered چون (chún)اصرار (iṣrár)رفت (rft)حرف (ḥrf)اوّل (iwwl)اسم (ism)از (iz)لسان (lsán)جاری (járí)اهل (ihl)غرفات (ghrfát) as “when, urged, the first letter, thereof, was uttered, the dwellers, of the celestial chambers”

لسان
lsán l-s-n

literal: tongue; tongue, language; tongues

SE rendered چون (chún)اصرار (iṣrár)رفت (rft)حرف (ḥrf)اوّل (iwwl)اسم (ism)از (iz)لسان (lsán)جاری (járí)اهل (ihl)غرفات (ghrfát)از (iz)مکامن (mkámn) as “when, urged, the first letter, thereof, was uttered, the dwellers, of the celestial chambers, their habitation”

بیرون
bírún b-r-n “showers” Distinctive

literal: rain; outside, out; outside

This form usually rendered as “went”, “brought” (2 occurrences)

went 50% brought 50%
دوم
dúm d-w-m

literal: continuance; continuance/duration; everlasting

SE rendered بیرون (bírún)دویدند (dúydnd)چون (chún)بحرف (bḥrf)دوم (dúm)رسید (rsíd)جمیع (jmíʿ)بر (br)تراب (tráb)ریختند (ríkhtnd) as “rushed forth out, whilst, the second letter, was pronounced, they fell down, upon the dust”

بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered چون (chún)بحرف (bḥrf)دوم (dúm)رسید (rsíd)جمیع (jmíʿ)بر (br)تراب (tráb)ریختند (ríkhtnd)وقت (wqt)ندا (ndá)از (iz) as “whilst, the second letter, was pronounced, they fell down, upon the dust, moment, a voice, from”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
ریختند
ríkhtnd r-y-z

literal: to fall apart; scatter; pour

SE rendered بحرف (bḥrf)دوم (dúm)رسید (rsíd)جمیع (jmíʿ)بر (br)تراب (tráb)ریختند (ríkhtnd)وقت (wqt)ندا (ndá)از (iz)مکمن (mkmn) as “the second letter, was pronounced, they fell down, upon the dust, moment, a voice, from, the inmost shrine”

3 occurrences in corpus

قرب
qrb q-r-b

literal: nearness; near; bring near

SE rendered وقت (wqt)ندا (ndá)از (iz)مکمن (mkmn)قرب (qrb)رسید (rsíd)زیاده (zíádh)بر (br)جایز (jáyz)نه (nh) as “moment, a voice, from, the inmost shrine, was heard, “Thus far, and no farther.””

presence 26% proximity 19% nearness 11% divine 11% draw 7% nigh 7% near 7% drawn 4% holiness 4% glory 4%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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