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Gleanings — §312

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 312 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

بهم تمطر السّحاب و تنبت الأرض هیچ شیء از اشیاء بی ‌سبب و علّت و مبدء موجود نه و سبب اعظم ارواح مجرّده بوده و خواهد بود و فرق این عالم با آن عالم مثل فرق عالم جنین و این عالم است باری بعد از صعود بین یدی الله حاضر میشود بهیکلی که لایق بقا و قابل آن عالم است این بقا بقاء زمانیست نه بقاء ذاتی چه که مسبوقست بعلّت و بقاء ذاتی غیر مسبوق و آن مخصوص است بحقّ جلّ جلاله طوبی للعارفین اگر در اعمال انبیا تفکّر نمائی بیقین مبین شهادت میدهی که غیر این عالم عالمهاست حکمای ارض چنانچه در لوح حکمت از قلم اعلی نازل اکثری بآنچه در کتب الهی نازل قائل و معترفند ولکن طبیعیّین که بطبیعت قائلند در بارهٴ انبیا نوشته‌اند که ایشان حکیم بوده‌اند و نظر بتربیت عباد ذکر مراتب جنّت و نار و ثواب و عذاب نموده‌اند حال ملاحظه نمائید جمیع در هر عالمی که بوده و هستند انبیا را مقدّم بر کل میدانند بعضی آن جواهر مجرّده را حکیم میگویند و برخی من قبل الله میدانند حال امثال این نفوس اگر عوالم الهی را منحصر باین عالم میدانستند هرگز خود را بدست اعدا نمیدادند و عذاب و مشقّاتی که شبه و مثل نداشته تحمّل نمی فرمودند...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being. The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality and is worthy of its celestial habitation. Such an existence is a contingent and not an absolute existence, inasmuch as the former is preceded by a cause, whilst the latter is independent thereof. Absolute existence is strictly confined to God, exalted be His glory. Well is it with them that apprehend this truth. Wert thou to ponder in thine heart the behavior of the Prophets of God thou wouldst assuredly and readily testify that there must needs be other worlds besides this world. The majority of the truly wise and learned have, throughout the ages, as it hath been recorded by the Pen of Glory in the Tablet of Wisdom, borne witness to the truth of that which the holy Writ of God hath revealed. Even the materialists have testified in their writings to the wisdom of these divinely appointed Messengers, and have regarded the references made by the Prophets to Paradise, to hell fire, to future reward and punishment, to have been actuated by a desire to educate and uplift the souls of men. Consider, therefore, how the generality of mankind, whatever their beliefs or theories, have recognized the excellence, and admitted the superiority, of these Prophets of God. These Gems of Detachment are acclaimed by some as the embodiments of wisdom, while others believe them to be the mouthpiece of God Himself. How could such Souls have consented to surrender themselves unto their enemies if they believed all the worlds of God to have been reduced to this earthly life? Would they have willingly suffered such afflictions and torments as no man hath ever experienced or witnessed?

Translation Notes

هیچ
hích hích

literal: any, none; any

SE rendered بهم (bhm), تمطر (tmṭr), السّحاب (as-sḥáb), تنبت (tnbt), الأرض (ar-rḍ), هیچ (hích), شیء (shíʾ), از (iz), اشیاء (ishíáʾ), بی (bí), ‌سبب (‌sbb) as “Through them, rain, clouds, bringeth forth, earth, things, cause”

any 67% ever 33%
بی
bí b-y

literal: without; is

SE rendered تنبت (tnbt), الأرض (ar-rḍ), هیچ (hích), شیء (shíʾ), از (iz), اشیاء (ishíáʾ), بی (bí), ‌سبب (‌sbb), علّت (ʿllt), مبدء (mbdʾ), موجود (mújúd) as “bringeth forth, earth, things, cause, principle, have”

باری
bárí b-r-y

literal: in short; briefly; in short, anyway

SE rendered فرق (frq), عالم (ʿálm), جنین (jnín), عالم (ʿálm), باری (bárí), از (iz), صعود (ṣʿúd), یدی (ydí), الله (al-lh) as “different, world, child, attaineth, Presence, God”

briefly 46% now 12% meanwhile 8% such 8% short 8% brief 4% resume 4% may 4% even 4% inasmuch 4%
حاضر
ḥáḍr ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: present

SE rendered از (iz), صعود (ṣʿúd), یدی (ydí), الله (al-lh), حاضر (ḥáḍr), میشود (míshúd), بهیکلی (bhíklí), لایق (láyq), بقا (bqá) as “attaineth, Presence, God, assume, form, worthy, immortality”

attend 23% ready 15% met 8% sent 8% come 8% standeth 8% available 8% possession 8% gather 8% led 8%
قابل
qábl q-b-l → “before”

literal: before; acceptance; approach

SE rendered میشود (míshúd), بهیکلی (bhíklí), لایق (láyq), بقا (bqá), قابل (qábl), عالم (ʿálm), بقا (bqá), بقاء (bqáʾ), زمانیست (zmáníst) as “assume, form, worthy, immortality, habitation, existence, contingent”

worthy 32% unworthy 21% made 11% fit 11% able 5% endowed 5% matchless 5% may 5% wholly 5%
تفکّر
tfkkr f-k-r

literal: reflection; reflect

SE rendered للعارفین (llʿárfín), اعمال (iʿmál), انبیا (inbíá), تفکّر (tfkkr), نمائی (nmáʾí), بیقین (bíqín), مبین (mbín), شهادت (shhádt), میدهی (mídhí) as “apprehend, behavior, Prophets, thou, assuredly, testify, wouldst”

قائل
qáʾl q-w-l

literal: say; saying

SE rendered اکثری (ikthrí), بآنچه (bánchh), کتب (ktb), الهی (al-hí), نازل (názl), قائل (qáʾl), معترفند (mʿtrfnd), ولکن (wlkn), طبیعیّین (ṭbíʿíʿín) as “majority, Writ, God, borne, materialists”

“saying 33% belief 33% saying 33%
بارهٴ
bárhٴ b-r-h

literal: proof; evidence; proof, evidence

SE rendered طبیعیّین (ṭbíʿíʿín), بطبیعت (bṭbíʿt), قائلند (qáʾlnd), بارهٴ (bárhٴ), انبیا (inbíá), نوشته‌اند (núshth‌ánd), ایشان (iyshán), حکیم (ḥkím) as “materialists, Prophets, writings, wisdom”

هر
hr h-r

literal: every; each; every/each

SE rendered نموده‌اند (nmúdh‌ánd), حال (ḥál), ملاحظه (mláḥẓh), نمائید (nmáʾíd), جمیع (jmíʿ), هر (hr), عالمی (ʿálmí), هستند (hstnd), انبیا (inbíá) as “have been, Consider, whatever, generality, Prophets”

هستند
hstnd h-s-t

literal: are; be; is

SE rendered جمیع (jmíʿ), هر (hr), عالمی (ʿálmí), هستند (hstnd), انبیا (inbíá), مقدّم (mqddm), بر (br), میدانند (mídánnd) as “whatever, generality, Prophets, superiority, recognized”

still 50% “there 50%
میگویند
mígúynd gftn

literal: say; to say; said

SE rendered بعضی (bʿḍí), جواهر (júáhr), مجرّده (mjrrdh), حکیم (ḥkím), میگویند (mígúynd), برخی (brkhí), الله (al-lh), میدانند (mídánnd) as “some, Gems, Detachment, wisdom, God, believe”

continue 14% contend 14% what 14% murmur 14% acclaimed 14% voicing 14% idle 14%
مشقّاتی
mshqqátí sh-q-q

literal: split; discord; hardship

SE rendered بدست (bdst), اعدا (iʿdá), نمیدادند (nmídádnd), عذاب (ʿdháb), مشقّاتی (mshqqátí), شبه (shbh), مثل (mthl), نداشته (ndáshth), تحمّل (tḥmml) as “enemies, torments, afflictions, suffered”

hath 19% cleft 19% rent 14% blossoms 10% discord 10% mischief 10% contention 5% exertion 5% torn 5% burden 5%
فرمودند
frmúdnd frmúdn

literal: say; command; says

SE rendered شبه (shbh), مثل (mthl), نداشته (ndáshth), تحمّل (tḥmml), نمی (nmí), فرمودند (frmúdnd) as “afflictions, suffered”

said 39% have 17% uttered 9% spoke 9% made 4% said: 4% freely 4% exercised 4% continued 4% sojourned 4%

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