Kitáb-i-'Ahd — §1

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 1 of 16.

Source (Persian)

اگر افق اعلی از زخرف دنيا خالی است و لکن در خزائن توکّل و تفويض از برای ورّاث ميراث مرغوب لا عدل له گذاشتيم * گنج نگذاشتيم و بر رنج نيفزوديم * ايم اللّه در ثروت خوف مستور و خطر مکنون *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Although the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet within the treasury of trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our heirs an excellent and priceless heritage

Translation Notes

افق

ifq ʾ-f-q → “realm” Distinctive

literal: horizon; horizons; horizons/regions

This form usually rendered as “horizon”, “dayspring”, “above” (100 occurrences)

horizon 67% dayspring 10% above 5% heaven 5% realm 5% orient 3% supreme 1% works 1% created 1% realms 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: world fire-tabletFire §26: the heaven gleaningsGWB §286: works prayers-and-meditationsP&M §116: orient the-hidden-wordsHW §15: the realm epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §173: above the horizon gleaningsGWB §611: Realm prayers-and-meditationsP&M §258: of the Dayspring

اعلی

iʿlí ʿ-l-w → “of glory”

literal: highest; exalted

most 45% high 18% glory 10% loftiest 6% exalted 6% highest 5% supreme 4% all-glorious 3% heights 2% one 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §235: all-glorious fire-tabletFire §42: highest gleaningsGWB §497: Glorified, glorified kitab-i-ahdAhd §16: on the kitab-i-iqanKIQ §255: upon thee prayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: and can aid tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §56: around her the-hidden-wordsHW §23: Noble

از

iz ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

SE rendered افق (ifq), اعلی (iʿlí), از (iz), زخرف (zkhrf), دنيا (dníá), خالی (khálí), لکن (lkn) as “the Realm, of Glory, of, the vanities, of the, none, yet”

23 occurrences in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: of kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: from kitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: Amongst kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: at

زخرف

zkhrf z-kh-r-f → “vanities”

literal: ornament; adornment; absurdities

vanities 35% riches 15% treasures 10% absurdities 10% denuded 5% ornaments 5% diversity 5% preposterous 5% thoughts 5% specious 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: the treasures gleaningsGWB §418: riches kitab-i-iqanKIQ §257: thoughts epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: your treasures gleaningsGWB §406: so denuded kitab-i-iqanKIQ §148: absurdities gleaningsGWB §361: vanities kitab-i-iqanKIQ §204: preposterous

دنيا

dníá d-n-w → “of the world”

literal: world; world/this life

SE expanded to “of the world”

world 78% things 5% life 5% earth 4% world’s 1% desire 1% nothing 1% earthly 1% worldly 1% “the 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: the world gleaningsGWB §481: abject kitab-i-ahdAhd §1: of the kitab-i-iqanKIQ §251: sordid prayers-and-meditationsP&M §729: least the-hidden-wordsHW §105: OF epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §26: of desire gleaningsGWB §278: of the earth

خالی

khálí kh-l-w → “bygone”

literal: past, bygone

bygone 50% none 25% void 25%

gleaningsGWB §149: bygone kitab-i-ahdAhd §1: none kitab-i-iqanKIQ §84: believe’the-hidden-wordsHW §78: void gleaningsGWB §465: no longer behold gleaningsGWB §460: carried into effect

لکن

lkn l-k-n → “yet”

literal: but; but, however; but/however

SE rendered اعلی (iʿlí), از (iz), زخرف (zkhrf), دنيا (dníá), خالی (khálí), لکن (lkn), خزائن (khzáʾn), توکّل (túkkl), تفويض (tfúyḍ), از (iz), برای (bráy) as “of Glory, of, the vanities, of the, none, yet, the treasury, trust, resignation, to”