Gleanings — §298

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 298 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

أن یا عبد المؤمن بالله تالله لو أرید أن أذکر لک ما ورد عَلَيَّ لن تحمله النّفوس ولا العقول وکان الله علی ذلک شهید وإنّک أنت فاحفظ نفسک ولا تعقّب هؤلآء وکن في أمر ربّک لمن المتفکّرین أن اعرف ربّک بنفسه لا بدونه لأنّ دونه لن یکفیک بشيء ویشهد بذلک کلّ الأشیآء إن أنت من السّامعین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O My servant that believest in God! By the righteousness of the Almighty! Were I to recount to thee the tale of the things that have befallen Me, the souls and minds of men would be incapable of sustaining its weight. God Himself beareth Me witness. Watch over thyself, and follow not the footsteps of these people. Meditate diligently upon the Cause of thy Lord. Strive to know Him through His own Self and not through others. For no one else besides Him can ever profit thee. To this all created things will testify, couldst thou but perceive it.

Translation Notes

عبد

ʿbd ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servants; servant; servant/slave

servant 76% one 6% man 6% guardian 2% abdu’-salam 2% man’s 2% servant” 2% ‘abdu 2% servant’s 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §237: hapless creatures fire-tabletFire §49: Adored gleaningsGWB §171: worshipers kitab-i-iqanKIQ §232: those who prayers-and-meditationsP&M §732: bond tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a service will-and-testamentW&T §36: this Thy servant epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: ‘Abdi’llah

المؤمن

al-mʾmn ʾ-m-n → “that believest in god”

literal: faith; believer; believe

SE expanded to “that believest in God”

believer 35% true 17% believe 13% faithful 9% am 4% disbelieved 4% believest 4% believeth 4% believer’.” 4% believing 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §39: honesty gleaningsGWB §621: with the ornament of honesty kitab-i-iqanKIQ §86: A true believer prayers-and-meditationsP&M §463: they have acknowledged Thee tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §7: have ye believed the-hidden-wordsHW §10: and secure will-and-testamentW&T §42: to return to the True Faith epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §160: for having believed

أرید

ʾaríd r-y-d → “thou” Distinctive

literal: desire

This form usually rendered as “wish”, “have”, “what” (19 occurrences)

wish 44% have 6% what 6% seeketh 6% true 6% desire 6% attempt 6% hold 6% venture 6% whose 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: If it be Thy wish gleaningsGWB §608: pleaseth.”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §22: seek prayers-and-meditationsP&M §250: Thou didst purpose the-hidden-wordsHW §8: seekest epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: Thou wishest gleaningsGWB §492: thou desirest to achieve, now kitab-i-iqanKIQ §284: intend

أذکر

ʾadhkr dh-k-r → “recount” Distinctive

literal: mention; mentioned

This form usually rendered as “call”, “relate”, “mention” (11 occurrences)

call 36% relate 9% mention 9% narrate 9% tell 9% recount 9% make 9% unravel 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §13: His praise gleaningsGWB §257: remind kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: mentioning kitab-i-iqanKIQ §179: recounteth prayers-and-meditationsP&M §423: in remembering tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His call tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §15: all mention the-hidden-wordsHW §44: Make mention of Me

ورد

wrd w-r-d → “things that have befallen”

literal: entering; come; came upon

SE expanded to “things that have befallen”

hath 26% have 19% things 14% befallen 13% there 10% befell 6% what 5% suffered 4% result 1% lamenteth 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §112: arrival gleaningsGWB §227: if he come to kitab-i-iqanKIQ §98: the victims of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §428: reaching will-and-testamentW&T §49: in the midst of my woes epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §174: aimed gleaningsGWB §619: that have come kitab-i-iqanKIQ §15: have inflicted

تحمله

tḥmlh ḥ-m-l → “be incapable of sustaining” Distinctive

literal: bearing

This form usually rendered as “suffered”, “endured”, “bear” (6 occurrences)

SE expanded to “be incapable of sustaining”

suffered 33% endured 17% bear 17% sustaining 17% forbearance 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §62: sustain its weight gleaningsGWB §87: burden kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: sustaining kitab-i-iqanKIQ §204: burdened prayers-and-meditationsP&M §243: can bear will-and-testamentW&T §48: my forbearance epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §89: hath suffered gleaningsGWB §13: bearing

النّفوس

an-nfús n-f-s → “souls and”

literal: soul; souls

souls 58% men 14% people 6% soul 6% beings 4% ones 3% every 3% heart 3% character 1% faithful 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: thy soul gleaningsGWB §362: breath kitab-i-iqanKIQ §260: being prayers-and-meditationsP&M §267: for Thy spirit tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: within thyself the-hidden-wordsHW §71: for My Self will-and-testamentW&T §44: of the insincere epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §200: the souls

العقول

al-ʿqúl ʿ-q-l → “minds of men”

literal: intellect; minds; understand

SE expanded to “minds of men”

mind 50% minds 20% understanding 10% mortal 5% limited 5% intellect 5% intelligence 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §60: the wise gleaningsGWB §35: with their limited understanding kitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: reason prayers-and-meditationsP&M §645: intelligence epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §38: men endued with insight gleaningsGWB §117: mind kitab-i-iqanKIQ §277: intellect prayers-and-meditationsP&M §343: man endued with understanding

وکان

wkán k-w-n → “thou” Distinctive

literal: be; to be

This form usually rendered as “accounted”, “time”, “who” (21 occurrences)

accounted 11% time 11% who 11% knoweth 11% will 11% had 11% verily 11% numbered 11% continued 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: wert gleaningsGWB §358: could have manifested kitab-i-iqanKIQ §56: in His own Being prayers-and-meditationsP&M §132: of Thy creation tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: they combine tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: lest thou tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: whose heart hath the-hidden-wordsHW §43: thyself

فاحفظ

fáḥfẓ ḥ-f-ẓ → “watch over thyself” Distinctive

literal: protection; protect; preserve

This form usually rendered as “keep”, “shield”, “preserve” (17 occurrences)

SE expanded to “Watch over thyself”

keep 29% shield 18% preserve 12% protect 12% commit 6% watch 6% do 6% guard 6% learn 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §51: defence gleaningsGWB §567: for the preservation kitab-i-ahdAhd §5: safeguarding kitab-i-iqanKIQ §12: the preservation prayers-and-meditationsP&M §450: will preserve me tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: Learn well tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §22: guardian the-hidden-wordsHW §112: sanctuary

تعقّب

tʿqqb ʿ-q-b

literal: behind; heels; height

SE rendered شهید (shhíd), وإنّک (wʾinnk), فاحفظ (fáḥfẓ), نفسک (nfsk), تعقّب (tʿqqb), هؤلآء (hʾláʾ), وکن (wkn), أمر (ʾamr), ربّک (rbbk) as “Me witness, Watch over thyself, these, the Cause, of thy Lord”

followed 13% height 13% hill 13% retribution 13% awaiteth 13% end 13% follow 6% heels 6% punishing 6% pursuing 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §244: followed gleaningsGWB §168: height kitab-i-iqanKIQ §55: heels.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §477: issue the-hidden-wordsHW §154: hill will-and-testamentW&T §3: Later on gleaningsGWB §168: the hill kitab-i-iqanKIQ §261: pursuing

أمر

ʾamr ʾ-m-r → “cause”

literal: command; matter; cause

cause 57% revelation 17% faith 6% command 3% behest 3% divine 3% bidding 3% decree 3% ordainer 2% bidden 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: thy judgment fire-tabletFire §17: Command gleaningsGWB §395: the Faith kitab-i-ahdAhd §15: hath prescribed for him kitab-i-iqanKIQ §252: those happenings prayers-and-meditationsP&M §95: works tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: to Whose commands the-hidden-wordsHW §157: results

ربّک

rbbk r-b-b → “of thy lord”

literal: lord; divine; lordship

SE expanded to “of thy Lord”

lord 89% god 9% divine 1% unto 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: God gleaningsGWB §548: unfading kitab-i-iqanKIQ §2: All-Glorious prayers-and-meditationsP&M §184: the Enlightener tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §23: be my Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §25: of thy God will-and-testamentW&T §36: Lord, Most High epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: O Lord

المتفکّرین

al-mtfkkrín f-k-r → “meditate diligently upon”

literal: reflection; reflect; thought

SE expanded to “Meditate diligently upon”

ponder 60% would 20% meditate 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §10: ponder thereon gleaningsGWB §305: Do thou meditate on kitab-i-iqanKIQ §268: reflection prayers-and-meditationsP&M §834: I ponder the-hidden-wordsHW §119: insight will-and-testamentW&T §9: purposed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §119: reflect gleaningsGWB §363: ponder in their hearts

اعرف

iʿrf ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

know 33% better 11% “know 11% comprehend 11% strive 11% perceive 11% do 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: hath acknowledged gleaningsGWB §666: man of true understanding kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deeds kitab-i-iqanKIQ §152: man of learning prayers-and-meditationsP&M §281: having enabled me to recognize tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to see the-hidden-wordsHW §52: do thou observe it epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: of high repute

دونه

dúnh d-w-n

literal: without

SE rendered اعرف (iʿrf), ربّک (rbbk), بنفسه (bnfsh), بدونه (bdúnh), دونه (dúnh), یکفیک (ykfík), بشيء (bshíʾ), ویشهد (wíshhd), بذلک (bdhlk) as “Strive, and not through, can ever profit thee, this”