Gleanings — §663
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 663 of 729.
Source (Arabic)
لو تتفکّر في الدّنیا وفَنائها لا تختار لنفسک إلّا نصرة أمر ربّک ولا یمنعک عن ذکره من علی الأرض أجمعین
Shoghi Effendi Translation
Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.
Translation Notes
ponder 42% reflect 22% meditate 20% consider 4% thoughts 2% minds 2% attentively 2% pondereth 2% meditating 2% wert 2%
SE rendered تتفکّر (ttfkkr), الدّنیا (ad-dníá), وفَنائها (wfanáʾhá), تختار (tkhtár), لنفسک (lnfsk) as “this world, and realize, choose to tread, wouldst”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: the worldgleaningsGWB §573: “the world”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §251: sordidprayers-and-meditationsP&M §840: the lowliestthe-hidden-wordsHW §22: that which is less goodepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §171: this world’sgleaningsGWB §699: all earthly thingskitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: or low
SE rendered تتفکّر (ttfkkr), الدّنیا (ad-dníá), وفَنائها (wfanáʾhá), تختار (tkhtár), لنفسک (lnfsk), نصرة (nṣrh), أمر (ʾamr) as “this world, and realize, choose to tread, wouldst, the path of service, to the Cause”
realize 50% fleetingness 50%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: perisheth notgleaningsGWB §106: effaced and nonexistentkitab-i-iqanKIQ §254: vanitiesprayers-and-meditationsP&M §766: die tothe-hidden-wordsHW §88: that must dieepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: perishgleaningsGWB §708: O thou who hast surrendered thy will to Godkitab-i-iqanKIQ §196: effaced
This form usually rendered as “choosest”, “thou” (3 occurrences)
SE expanded to “choose to tread”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §215: with him whogleaningsGWB §77: they utteredkitab-i-iqanKIQ §44: in one breathprayers-and-meditationsP&M §274: for mine own selftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: within thyselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: even as one soulwill-and-testamentW&T §27: the peopleepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §70: mine own
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: upholder andfire-tabletFire §29: ChampiongleaningsGWB §620: Aid yekitab-i-ahdAhd §13: can renderkitab-i-iqanKIQ §25: for the triumphprayers-and-meditationsP&M §793: have sought no helperthe-hidden-wordsHW §43: obtain the victorywill-and-testamentW&T §5: triumphant assistance
SE expanded to “to the Cause”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: taskfire-tabletFire §17: CommandgleaningsGWB §475: thine affairskitab-i-ahdAhd §15: hath prescribed for himkitab-i-iqanKIQ §177: all actsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §264: Thy preceptstablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: to Whose commandsthe-hidden-wordsHW §52: My command unto thee
SE expanded to “of thy Lord”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §108: with my LordgleaningsGWB §45: Heaven-sentkitab-i-iqanKIQ §118: “O God our Lordprayers-and-meditationsP&M §229: Thy Lordshiptablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §23: be my Lordthe-hidden-wordsHW §25: of thy Godwill-and-testamentW&T §10: O Lord my Godepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §74: Godhood
This form usually rendered as “can”, “frustrate”, “withstand” (11 occurrences)
SE expanded to “to deter thee”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §215: hindergleaningsGWB §682: have ceasedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §172: of the graceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §837: may keep them backtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §9: arise against theethe-hidden-wordsHW §67: shall be hinderedwill-and-testamentW&T §56: hindranceepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: debarred
This form usually rendered as “mention”, “remembrance”, “mentioned” (404 occurrences)
SE expanded to “celebrating His praise”
mention 23% remembrance 18% mentioned 16% praise 14% recorded 6% words 6% recount 5% referred 5% make 4% references 4%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §72: sayingsgleaningsGWB §106: the Well-Belovedkitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckonedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §209: beenprayers-and-meditationsP&M §538: extolling Theetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His calltablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §15: all mentionthe-hidden-wordsHW §44: I may remember thee
This form usually rendered as “earth”, “land”, “world” (459 occurrences)
SE expanded to “all men should arise”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §77: those regionsfire-tabletFire §36: a desolate landgleaningsGWB §222: territorieskitab-i-iqanKIQ §74: this earthprayers-and-meditationsP&M §364: Thy realmtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §43: the landsthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: the same landepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §76: the very earth
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §256: a large gatheringgleaningsGWB §677: encompasseth all creationkitab-i-ahdAhd §2: layeth upkitab-i-iqanKIQ §104: all that areprayers-and-meditationsP&M §617: with one consentthe-hidden-wordsHW §89: ye will allwill-and-testamentW&T §24: all theepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: laying up
