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Gleanings — §558

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 558 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

شنود و اسرار رجوع و ایاب را بچشم سر ملاحظه فرماید چه ذکر نمایم از آثار و علامات و ظهورات و تجلّیات که بامر سلطان اسماء و صفات در آن مدینه مقدّر شده بی‌آب رفع عطش نماید و بی‌نار حرارت محبّة الله بیفزاید در هر گیاهی حکمت بالغهٔ معنوی مستور است و بر شاخسار هر گل هزار بلبل ناطقه در جذب و شور از لاله‌های بدیعش سرّ نار موسوی ظاهر و از نفحات قدسیّه‌اش نفخهٔ روح القدس عیسوی باهر بی‌ذهب غنا بخشد و بی‌فنا بقا عطا فرماید در هر ورقش نعیمی

Shoghi Effendi Translation

How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendors which He, Who is the King of Names and Attributes, hath destined for that City! The attainment unto this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable Wisdom, and upon every rosebush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savors of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In each one of its leaves ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.

Translation Notes

ایاب
iyáb ʾ-w-b

literal: repentance; coming back; return

SE rendered اسرار (isrár)رجوع (rjúʿ)ایاب (iyáb)بچشم (bchshm)سر (sr)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرماید (frmáyd) as “mysteries, He”

repent 50% water 50%
بچشم
bchshm ch-sh-m

literal: eye; spring; with eyes/through eyes

SE rendered اسرار (isrár)رجوع (rjúʿ)ایاب (iyáb)بچشم (bchshm)سر (sr)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرماید (frmáyd)چه (chh)ذکر (dhkr)نمایم (nmáym) as “mysteries, He, hath”

eyes 43% eye 33% own 3% inner 3% well-spring 3% salty 3% gaze 3% founts 3% closed 3%
ملاحظه
mláḥẓh l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: observation; observe; observation, consideration

SE rendered اسرار (isrár)رجوع (rjúʿ)ایاب (iyáb)بچشم (bchshm)سر (sr)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرماید (frmáyd)چه (chh)ذکر (dhkr)نمایم (nmáym)از (iz)آثار (áthár) as “mysteries, He, hath, signs, the tokens”

چه
chh ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

SE rendered سر (sr)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرماید (frmáyd)چه (chh)ذکر (dhkr)نمایم (nmáym)از (iz)آثار (áthár) as “mysteries, He, hath, signs, the tokens”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
ذکر
dhkr dh-k-r

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

SE rendered سر (sr)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)فرماید (frmáyd)چه (chh)ذکر (dhkr)نمایم (nmáym)از (iz)آثار (áthár) as “mysteries, He, hath, signs, the tokens”

علامات
ʿlámát ʿ-l-m

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

SE rendered فرماید (frmáyd)چه (chh)ذکر (dhkr)نمایم (nmáym)از (iz)آثار (áthár)علامات (ʿlámát)ظهورات (ẓhúrát)تجلّیات (tjllíát) as “He, hath, signs, the tokens, revelations”

signs 79% tokens 16% sign 5%
بامر
bámr ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause

SE rendered تجلّیات (tjllíát)بامر (bámr)سلطان (slṭán)اسماء (ismáʾ)صفات (ṣfát)مدینه (mdính) as “revelations, King, Names, Attributes, that City”

حرارت
ḥrárt ḥ-r-r

literal: heat

SE rendered بی‌آب (bí‌áb)رفع (rfʿ)عطش (ʿṭsh)نماید (nmáyd)بی‌نار (bí‌nár)حرارت (ḥrárt)محبّة (mḥbbh)الله (al-lh)بیفزاید (bífzáyd)هر (hr) as “without water, quencheth, thirst, without fire, love, God, kindleth, every”

heat 60% quickening 20% warmth 20%
بیفزاید
bífzáyd f-z-y “kindleth”

literal: to increase; increase

گیاهی
gíáhí g-y-h “blade”

literal: grass

1 occurrence in corpus

معنوی
mʿnúy ʿ-n-y

literal: care; meaning; meanings

SE rendered بیفزاید (bífzáyd)هر (hr)گیاهی (gíáhí)حکمت (ḥkmt)بالغهٔ (bálghh)معنوی (mʿnúy)مستور (mstúr)بر (br)شاخسار (shákhsár)هر (hr)گل (gl) as “kindleth, every, blade of grass, Wisdom, inscrutable, enshrined, upon, rosebush”

spiritual 33% mystic 33% invisible 11% heavenly 11% birds 11%
شاخسار
shákhsár sh-ʾ-kh

literal: branch; branch-bearing

SE rendered بالغهٔ (bálghh)معنوی (mʿnúy)مستور (mstúr)بر (br)شاخسار (shákhsár)هر (hr)گل (gl)هزار (hzár)بلبل (blbl)ناطقه (náṭqh)جذب (jdhb) as “inscrutable, enshrined, upon, every, rosebush, myriad, nightingales, blissful rapture”

5 occurrences in corpus

ناطقه
náṭqh n-ṭ-q

literal: speak; speaking

SE rendered بر (br)شاخسار (shákhsár)هر (hr)گل (gl)هزار (hzár)بلبل (blbl)ناطقه (náṭqh)جذب (jdhb)شور (shúr)از (iz)لاله‌های (lálh‌háy) as “upon, every, rosebush, myriad, nightingales, blissful rapture, tulips”

uttering 25% speak 15% utterance 10% rational 10% uttered 10% speaketh 10% reciteth 5% voice 5% recite 5% say 5%
شور
shúr sh-w-r

literal: indication; consultation; consult

SE rendered گل (gl)هزار (hzár)بلبل (blbl)ناطقه (náṭqh)جذب (jdhb)شور (shúr)از (iz)لاله‌های (lálh‌háy)بدیعش (bdíʿsh)سرّ (srr)نار (nár) as “rosebush, myriad, nightingales, blissful rapture, tulips, wondrous, mystery, Fire”

salty 50% briny 50%
لاله‌های
lálh‌háy l-ʾ-l-h “tulips”

literal: tulip; tulips

3 occurrences in corpus

باهر
báhr b-h-r

literal: brilliant; share; spring

SE rendered قدسیّه‌اش (qdsísh‌ásh)نفخهٔ (nfkhh)روح (rúḥ)القدس (al-qds)عیسوی (ʿísúy)باهر (báhr)بی‌ذهب (bí‌dhhb)غنا (ghná)بخشد (bkhshd)بی‌فنا (bí‌fná)بقا (bqá) as “holiness, breathe, Spirit, Messianic, without gold, wealth, bestoweth, without death, immortality”

revealed 50% do 25% resplendent 25%
عطا
ʿṭá ʿ-ṭ-w

literal: bounty

SE rendered بی‌ذهب (bí‌dhhb)غنا (ghná)بخشد (bkhshd)بی‌فنا (bí‌fná)بقا (bqá)عطا (ʿṭá)فرماید (frmáyd)هر (hr)ورقش (wrqsh)نعیمی (nʿímí) as “without gold, wealth, bestoweth, without death, immortality, conferreth, every, leaves, delights”

bestow 33% show 17% vouchsafing 17% all 17% bounty 17%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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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 ¶

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291 ¶

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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 ¶

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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 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶