Skip to main content

Gleanings — §555

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 555 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مؤیّد شد البتّه ببشارت لنهدینّهم سبلنا مستبشر خواهد شد و چون سراج طلب و مجاهده و ذوق و شوق و عشق و وله و جذب و حبّ در قلب روشن شد و نسیم محبّت از شطر احدیّه وزید ظلمت ضلالت شک و ریب زایل شود و انوار علم و یقین همهٔ ارکان وجود را احاطه نماید در آن حین بشیر معنوی ببشارت روحانی از مدینهٔ الهی چون صبح صادق طالع شود و قلب و نفس و روح را بصور معرفت از نوم غفلت بیدار نماید و عنایات و تأییدات روح القدس صمدانی حیات تازهٔ جدید مبذول دارد بقسمی که خود را صاحب چشم جدید و گوش بدیع و قلب و فؤاد تازه می‌بیند و رجوع بآیات واضحهٔ آفاقیّه و خفیّات مستورهٔ انفسیّه مینماید و بعین ‌الله بدیعه در هر ذرّه بابی مفتوح مشاهده نماید برای وصول بمراتب عین الیقین و حقّ الیقین و نور الیقین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation.

Translation Notes

سبلنا
sblná s-b-l

literal: path; way; path/way

SE rendered سبلنا (sblná)مستبشر (mstbshr)خواهد (khúáhd)چون (chún)سراج (sráj) as “will, Only when, the lamp”

path 77% way 7% ways 5% sake 4% straight 1% systems 1% path!” 1% road 1% means 1% barred 1%
شوق
shúq sh-w-q

literal: longing; yearning; longing, yearning

SE rendered چون (chún)سراج (sráj)طلب (ṭlb)مجاهده (mjáhdh)ذوق (dhúq)شوق (shúq)عشق (ʿshq)وله (wlh)جذب (jdhb)حبّ (ḥbb) as “Only when, the lamp, of search, earnest striving, of longing desire, passionate devotion, rapture, and ecstasy, , of, of fervid love”

longing 65% yearning 9% fervor 4% great 4% joy 4% vehement 4% love 4% desire 4%
از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered قلب (qlb)روشن (rúshn)نسیم (nsím)محبّت (mḥbbt)از (iz)شطر (shṭr)احدیّه (iḥdídh)وزید (wzíd)ظلمت (ẓlmt)ضلالت (ḍlált)شک (shk) as “the seeker’s heart, is kindled, the breeze, His loving-kindness, Divine, is wafted, the darkness, of error, of doubts”

23 occurrences in corpus

شطر
shṭr sh-ṭ-r

literal: direction; direction/side; direction, side

SE rendered قلب (qlb)روشن (rúshn)نسیم (nsím)محبّت (mḥbbt)از (iz)شطر (shṭr)احدیّه (iḥdídh)وزید (wzíd)ظلمت (ẓlmt)ضلالت (ḍlált)شک (shk) as “the seeker’s heart, is kindled, the breeze, His loving-kindness, Divine, is wafted, the darkness, of error, of doubts”

ارکان
irkán r-k-n

literal: pillar; pillars; pillar/foundation

SE rendered انوار (inúár)علم (ʿlm)یقین (yqín)همهٔ (hmh)ارکان (irkán)وجود (wjúd)احاطه (iḥáṭh)نماید (nmáyd)حین (ḥín) as “the lights, of knowledge, and certitude, all, his being, envelop, will, At that hour”

تأییدات
tʾayídát ʾ-y-d

literal: assist

SE rendered غفلت (ghflt)بیدار (bídár)نماید (nmáyd)عنایات (ʿnáyát)تأییدات (tʾayídát)روح (rúḥ)القدس (al-qds)صمدانی (ṣmdání)حیات (ḥíát)تازهٔ (tázh)جدید (jdíd) as “of heedlessness, will awaken, will, the manifold favors, the holy and everlasting Spirit, everlasting, new life”

دارد
dárd d-ʾ-r

literal: have; to have; possessor

SE rendered صمدانی (ṣmdání)حیات (ḥíát)تازهٔ (tázh)جدید (jdíd)مبذول (mbdhúl)دارد (dárd)بقسمی (bqsmí)صاحب (ṣáḥb)چشم (chshm)جدید (jdíd) as “everlasting, new life, new, confer, such, endowed with, a new eye”

carry 33% dispatch 33% seek 33%
بدیع
bdíʿ b-d-ʿ

literal: wondrous; wonders; creation

SE rendered صاحب (ṣáḥb)چشم (chshm)جدید (jdíd)گوش (gúsh)بدیع (bdíʿ)قلب (qlb) as “endowed with, a new eye, new, a new ear, a new heart”

فؤاد
fʾád f-ʾ-d

literal: heart; hearts; hearts, souls

SE rendered چشم (chshm)جدید (jdíd)گوش (gúsh)بدیع (bdíʿ)قلب (qlb)فؤاد (fʾád)تازه (tázh)می‌بیند (mí‌bínd)رجوع (rjúʿ)بآیات (báyát) as “a new eye, new, a new ear, a new heart, the manifest signs”

heart 75% mind 25%
می‌بیند
mí‌bínd b-y-n

literal: utterance; explanation; between

SE rendered گوش (gúsh)بدیع (bdíʿ)قلب (qlb)فؤاد (fʾád)تازه (tázh)می‌بیند (mí‌bínd)رجوع (rjúʿ)بآیات (báyát) as “a new ear, a new heart, the manifest signs”

رجوع
rjúʿ r-j-ʿ

literal: return; returning; to return

SE rendered قلب (qlb)فؤاد (fʾád)تازه (tázh)می‌بیند (mí‌bínd)رجوع (rjúʿ)بآیات (báyát)واضحهٔ (wáḍḥh)آفاقیّه (áfáqíqh)خفیّات (khfífát) as “a new heart, the manifest signs, the hidden mysteries”

واضحهٔ
wáḍḥh w-ḍ-ḥ

literal: clear; clear, evident; clear/evident

SE rendered بآیات (báyát)واضحهٔ (wáḍḥh)آفاقیّه (áfáqíqh)خفیّات (khfífát) as “the manifest signs, the hidden mysteries”

آفاقیّه
áfáqíqh ʾ-f-q

literal: horizon; horizons; horizonal/external

SE rendered بآیات (báyát)واضحهٔ (wáḍḥh)آفاقیّه (áfáqíqh)خفیّات (khfífát)مستورهٔ (mstúrh)انفسیّه (infsísh) as “the manifest signs, the hidden mysteries, of the soul”

مستورهٔ
mstúrh s-t-r

literal: hidden; concealed; veil

SE rendered بآیات (báyát)واضحهٔ (wáḍḥh)آفاقیّه (áfáqíqh)خفیّات (khfífát)مستورهٔ (mstúrh)انفسیّه (infsísh)مینماید (mínmáyd)بعین (bʿín)‌الله (‌állh) as “the manifest signs, the hidden mysteries, of the soul, will penetrate, with the eye, of God”

hidden 43% concealed 26% hid 6% lie 6% veiled 6% hide 3% yet 3% whatsoever 3% unrevealed 3% enshrined 3%
مفتوح
mftúḥ f-t-ḥ “that”

literal: open; opened

SE rendered ‌الله (‌állh)بدیعه (bdíʿh)هر (hr)ذرّه (dhrrh)بابی (bábí)مفتوح (mftúḥ)مشاهده (msháhdh)نماید (nmáyd)برای (bráy)وصول (wṣúl) as “of God, every, atom, a door, that, will perceive, will, leadeth him to the stations”

open 42% opened 17% unlocked 17% did 8% wide 8% cannot 8%
برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered ذرّه (dhrrh)بابی (bábí)مفتوح (mftúḥ)مشاهده (msháhdh)نماید (nmáyd)برای (bráy)وصول (wṣúl)بمراتب (bmrátb)عین (ʿín)الیقین (al-yqín) as “atom, a door, that, will perceive, will, leadeth him to the stations, of absolute certitude”

wherefore 50% light 50%
بمراتب
bmrátb r-t-b

literal: rank; ranks

SE rendered مفتوح (mftúḥ)مشاهده (msháhdh)نماید (nmáyd)برای (bráy)وصول (wṣúl)بمراتب (bmrátb)عین (ʿín)الیقین (al-yqín) as “that, will perceive, will, leadeth him to the stations, of absolute certitude”

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán cover

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶