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Gleanings — §563

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 563 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مشاهده کند و هر صاحب سمعی ندای مکلّم طور را اصغا نماید امواج بحر رحمت الهی بکمال اوج ظاهر بشأنی که مشرق آیات و مطلع بیّنات با جمیع احزاب بی پرده و حجاب جالس و مؤانس چه مقدار از اهل آفاق بنفاق داخل و بوفاق خارج باب فضل بر وجوه کل مفتوح با عاصی و مطیع در ظاهر بیک قسم معاشر که شاید بدکاران بدریای بخشش بی‌پایان پی‌برند تجلّیات اسم ستّار بقسمی ظاهر که بدکار گمان مینمود از اخیار محسوب هیچ قاصدی محروم نماند و هیچ مقبلی ممنوع نه...

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Every discerning eye can, in this Day, perceive the dawning light of God’s Revelation, and every attentive ear can recognize the Voice that was heard from the Burning Bush. Such is the rushing of the waters of Divine mercy, that He Who is the Dayspring of the signs of God and the Revealer of the evidences of His glory is without veil or concealment associating and conversing with the peoples of the earth and its kindreds. How numerous are those who, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, and departed from it loyal and loving friends! The portals of grace are wide open before the face of all men. In Our outward dealings with them We have treated alike the righteous and the sinner, that perchance the evildoer may attain the limitless ocean of Divine forgiveness. Our name “the Concealer” hath shed such a light upon men that the froward hath imagined himself to be numbered with the pious. No man that seeketh Us will We ever disappoint, neither shall he that hath set his face towards Us be denied access unto Our court.…

Translation Notes

بحر
bḥr b-ḥ-r

literal: sea; ocean; sea, ocean

SE rendered مکلّم (mkllm)طور (ṭúr)اصغا (iṣghá)نماید (nmáyd)امواج (imúáj)بحر (bḥr)رحمت (rḥmt)الهی (al-hí)بکمال (bkmál)اوج (iwj)ظاهر (ẓáhr)بشأنی (bshʾaní) as “that was heard, Burning Bush, recognize, rushing of the waters, Divine mercy, Such is, of His glory”

ocean 76% sea 16% waters 2% most 1% billowing 1% where 1% outpouring 1% rushing 1% oceans 1% seeking 1%
بکمال
bkmál k-m-l

literal: perfection; perfect

SE rendered اصغا (iṣghá)نماید (nmáyd)امواج (imúáj)بحر (bḥr)رحمت (rḥmt)الهی (al-hí)بکمال (bkmál)اوج (iwj)ظاهر (ẓáhr)بشأنی (bshʾaní)مشرق (mshrq)آیات (áyát) as “recognize, rushing of the waters, Divine mercy, Such is, of His glory, Dayspring, signs”

اوج
iwj ʿ-w-j

literal: crookedness; apex; crooked

SE rendered اصغا (iṣghá)نماید (nmáyd)امواج (imúáj)بحر (bḥr)رحمت (rḥmt)الهی (al-hí)بکمال (bkmál)اوج (iwj)ظاهر (ẓáhr)بشأنی (bshʾaní)مشرق (mshrq)آیات (áyát)مطلع (mṭlʿ) as “recognize, rushing of the waters, Divine mercy, Such is, of His glory, Dayspring, signs, Revealer”

hollows 50% crooked 50%
جمیع
jmíʿ j-m-ʿ

literal: all; all, entire

SE rendered مشرق (mshrq)آیات (áyát)مطلع (mṭlʿ)بیّنات (bíbnát)جمیع (jmíʿ)احزاب (iḥzáb)بی (bí)پرده (prdh)حجاب (ḥjáb)جالس (jáls) as “Dayspring, signs, Revealer, evidences, the peoples, without, veil, concealment, associating”

all 81% every 8% whole 3% each 2% whatsoever 1% one 1% concourse 1% under 1% divers 1% any 1%
بی

literal: without

5 occurrences in corpus

از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered حجاب (ḥjáb)جالس (jáls)مؤانس (mʾáns)چه (chh)مقدار (mqdár)از (iz)اهل (ihl)آفاق (áfáq)بنفاق (bnfáq)داخل (dákhl) as “concealment, associating, conversing, How numerous, men, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence”

23 occurrences in corpus

آفاق
áfáq ʾ-f-q

literal: horizon; horizons; horizons/regions

SE rendered جالس (jáls)مؤانس (mʾáns)چه (chh)مقدار (mqdár)از (iz)اهل (ihl)آفاق (áfáq)بنفاق (bnfáq)داخل (dákhl)بوفاق (búfáq)خارج (khárj)باب (báb) as “associating, conversing, How numerous, men, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, The portals”

world 47% whole 13% everywhere 7% earth 7% horizon 7% all 7% dominions 7% hast 7%
بوفاق
búfáq w-f-q

literal: agreement; grant success; grant-success

SE rendered اهل (ihl)آفاق (áfáq)بنفاق (bnfáq)داخل (dákhl)بوفاق (búfáq)خارج (khárj)باب (báb)فضل (fḍl)بر (br)وجوه (wjúh)مفتوح (mftúḥ) as “men, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, The portals, grace, upon, the face, wide open”

خارج
khárj kh-r-j

literal: go out; outside

SE rendered اهل (ihl)آفاق (áfáq)بنفاق (bnfáq)داخل (dákhl)بوفاق (búfáq)خارج (khárj)باب (báb)فضل (fḍl)بر (br)وجوه (wjúh)مفتوح (mftúḥ) as “men, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, The portals, grace, upon, the face, wide open”

foreign 14% describe 14% went 14% far 14% concealed 14% forsaken 14% out 14%
بدکاران

literal: evildoers; evildoer

evildoer 50% froward 50%
بدریای
bdríáy d-r-y-ʾ “led”

literal: ocean

1 occurrence in corpus

بی‌پایان
bí‌páyán p-ʾ-y

literal: end; foot; unstable

SE rendered شاید (sháyd)بدکاران (bdkárán)بدریای (bdríáy)بخشش (bkhshsh)بی‌پایان (bí‌páyán)پی‌برند (pí‌brnd)تجلّیات (tjllíát)اسم (ism)ستّار (sttár) as “perchance, the evildoer, the limitless ocean, Divine forgiveness, may attain, hath shed, Our name, “the Concealer””

feet 50% last 50%
هیچ
hích h-y-ch “any”

literal: any

5 occurrences in corpus

نماند
nmánd m-ʾ-n

literal: remain; remained; to remain

SE rendered اخیار (ikhíár)محسوب (mḥsúb)هیچ (hích)قاصدی (qáṣdí)محروم (mḥrúm)نماند (nmánd)هیچ (hích)مقبلی (mqblí)ممنوع (mmnúʿ) as “the pious, numbered, No man, seeketh, disappoint, before, be denied”

leaveth 20% linger 20% cannot 20% remained 20% remaineth 20%

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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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 ¶

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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.

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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 ¶

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Prayers and Meditations

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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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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 ¶

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59 ¶