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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §163

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 163 of 291.

Source (Persian)

و همين گروه، با همه اين حجبات محدوده و حدودات مذکوره به مجرّد اينکه صهبای ايمان را از کأس ايقان از ايادی مظاهرسبحان می نوشيدند بالمرّه تقليب می شدند به قسمی که از زن و فرزند و اموال و اثقال و جان و ايمان بلکه از کلّ ما سوی می گذشتند و به قسمی غلبات شوق الهی و جذبات ذوق صمدانی ايشان را اخذ می نمود که دنيا را و آنچه در آن هست به پر کاهی ندانسته. آيا حکم خلق جديد و رجوع در اينها نمی شود؟ و همچنين ملاحظه شد که اين نفوس قبل از فوز به عنايت بديع جديد الهی جان خود را به صد هزار حيله و تدبير از موارد هلاکت حفظ می نمودند به قسمی که از خاری احتراز می جستند و از روباهی فی المثل فرار می نمودند. و بعد از شرف به فوز اکبر و عنايت عظمی صد هزار جان رايگان انفاق می فرمودند، بلکه نفوس مقدّسشان از قفس تن بيزار و يک نفر از اين جنود در مقابل گروهی مقاتله می نمود. مع ذلک چگونه می شود که اگر اين نفوس همان نفوس قبل باشند اي گونه امورات که مخالف عادات بشريّه و منافی هوای جسمانيّه است از ايشان ظاهر شود؟

Shoghi Effendi Translation

These same people, though wrapt in all these veils of limitation, and despite the restraint of such observances, as soon as they drank the immortal draught of faith, from the cup of certitude, at the hand of the Manifestation of the All-Glorious, were so transformed that they would renounce for His sake their kindred, their substance, their lives, their beliefs, yea, all else save God! So overpowering was their yearning for God, so uplifting their transports of ecstatic delight, that the world and all that is therein faded before their eyes into nothingness. Have not this people exemplified the mysteries of “rebirth” and “return”? Hath it not been witnessed that these same people, ere they were endued with the new and wondrous grace of God, sought through innumerable devices, to ensure the protection of their lives against destruction? Would not a thorn fill them with terror, and the sight of a fox put them to flight? But once having been honoured with God’s supreme distinction, and having been vouchsafed His bountiful grace, they would, if they were able, have freely offered up ten thousand lives in His path! Nay, their blessed souls, contemptuous of the cage of their bodies, would yearn for deliverance. A single warrior of that host would face and fight a multitude! And yet, how could they, but for the transformation wrought in their lives, be capable of manifesting such deeds which are contrary to the ways of men and incompatible with their worldly desires?

Translation Notes

مذکوره
mdhkúrh dh-k-r

literal: mention; mentioned

SE rendered همه (hmh)حجبات (ḥjbát)محدوده (mḥdúdh)حدودات (ḥdúdát)مذکوره (mdhkúrh)مجرّد (mjrrd)اينکه (iynkh)صهبای (ṣhbáy)ايمان (iymán) as “all, veils, of limitation, as soon as, that, immortal draught, faith”

از

literal: from

SE rendered مجرّد (mjrrd)اينکه (iynkh)صهبای (ṣhbáy)ايمان (iymán)از (iz)کأس (kʾas)ايقان (iyqán)از (iz)ايادی (iyádí)مظاهرسبحان (mẓáhrsbḥán) as “as soon as, that, immortal draught, faith, at the, cup, certitude, hand, Manifestation of the All-Glorious”

23 occurrences in corpus

می
m-y-y

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

SE rendered کأس (kʾas)ايقان (iyqán)از (iz)ايادی (iyádí)مظاهرسبحان (mẓáhrsbḥán)می (mí)نوشيدند (núshídnd)بالمرّه (bálmrrh)تقليب (tqlíb)می (mí)شدند (shdnd) as “cup, certitude, at the, hand, Manifestation of the All-Glorious, drank, once, transformation, were so transformed”

3 occurrences in corpus

قسمی
qsmí q-s-m

literal: manner; oath; oath, swear

SE rendered نوشيدند (núshídnd)بالمرّه (bálmrrh)تقليب (tqlíb)می (mí)شدند (shdnd)قسمی (qsmí)از (iz)زن (zn)فرزند (frznd)اموال (imúál) as “drank, once, transformation, were so transformed, kindred, substance”

such 47% great 18% potent 6% complete 6% like 6% much 6% form 6% know 6%
اموال
imúál m-w-l

literal: property; wealth, property

SE rendered زن (zn)فرزند (frznd)اموال (imúál)اثقال (ithqál)جان (ján)ايمان (iymán)بلکه (blkh) as “kindred, substance, lives, beliefs, yea”

اثقال
ithqál th-q-l

literal: weight; burdens; burden, weight

SE rendered زن (zn)فرزند (frznd)اموال (imúál)اثقال (ithqál)جان (ján)ايمان (iymán)بلکه (blkh)از (iz) as “kindred, substance, lives, beliefs, yea”

burdens 25% both 25% burden 13% twin 13% weighty 13% “most 13%
صمدانی
ṣmdání ṣ-m-d

literal: eternal; eternal, absolute; eternal, everlasting

SE rendered غلبات (ghlbát)شوق (shúq)الهی (al-hí)جذبات (jdhbát)ذوق (dhúq)صمدانی (ṣmdání)ايشان (iyshán)اخذ (ikhdh)می (mí)نمود (nmúd)دنيا (dníá) as “overpowering was, yearning, God, uplifting their transports, of ecstatic delight, they, Hath, world”

ايشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh “prophets”

literal: they; they, them; they/them

3 occurrences in corpus

اخذ
ikhdh ʾ-kh-dh

literal: take; taking; seizing

SE rendered جذبات (jdhbát)ذوق (dhúq)صمدانی (ṣmdání)ايشان (iyshán)اخذ (ikhdh)می (mí)نمود (nmúd)دنيا (dníá)آنچه (ánchh) as “uplifting their transports, of ecstatic delight, they, Hath, world, that is therein”

پر
pr p-r-r

literal: wing, feather; wing

SE rendered دنيا (dníá)آنچه (ánchh)هست (hst)پر (pr)کاهی (káhí)ندانسته (ndánsth)آيا (áyá)حکم (ḥkm)خلق (khlq) as “world, that is therein, are, faded before their eyes, Have not, “rebirth””

4 occurrences in corpus

کاهی
káhí k-h-h

literal: that; straw; who

SE rendered آنچه (ánchh)هست (hst)پر (pr)کاهی (káhí)ندانسته (ndánsth)آيا (áyá)حکم (ḥkm)خلق (khlq)جديد (jdíd) as “that is therein, are, faded before their eyes, Have not, “rebirth””

which 67% cause 33%
حکم
ḥkm ḥ-k-m

literal: wisdom; judgment

SE rendered هست (hst)پر (pr)کاهی (káhí)ندانسته (ndánsth)آيا (áyá)حکم (ḥkm)خلق (khlq)جديد (jdíd)رجوع (rjúʿ)اينها (iynhá) as “are, faded before their eyes, Have not, “rebirth”, “return”, this people”

نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered خلق (khlq)جديد (jdíd)رجوع (rjúʿ)اينها (iynhá)نمی (nmí)همچنين (hmchnín)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh) as ““rebirth”, “return”, this people, witnessed”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
همچنين
hmchnín ch-n-n

literal: likewise

SE rendered رجوع (rjúʿ)اينها (iynhá)نمی (nmí)همچنين (hmchnín)ملاحظه (mláḥẓh)نفوس (nfús) as ““return”, this people, witnessed”

تدبير
tdbír d-b-r

literal: management; scheme; reflect

SE rendered جان (ján)صد (ṣd)هزار (hzár)حيله (ḥílh)تدبير (tdbír)از (iz)موارد (múárd)هلاکت (hlákt)حفظ (ḥfẓ)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd) as “lives, innumerable, devices, destruction, protection, they”

موارد
múárd w-r-d

literal: entering; come; arrive

SE rendered هزار (hzár)حيله (ḥílh)تدبير (tdbír)از (iz)موارد (múárd)هلاکت (hlákt)حفظ (ḥfẓ)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd) as “innumerable, devices, destruction, protection, they”

instance 33% summons 33% midst 33%
احتراز
iḥtráz ḥ-r-z

literal: avoidance; avoidance, repudiation

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)قسمی (qsmí)از (iz)خاری (khárí)احتراز (iḥtráz)می (mí)جستند (jstnd)از (iz)روباهی (rúbáhí) as “they, thorn, sought, fox”

repudiated 17% shunned 17% avoid 17% shun 17% refrain 8% turn 8% aversion 8% avoidance 8%
روباهی
rúbáhí r-b-h “fox”

literal: fox

1 occurrence in corpus

المثل
al-mthl m-th-l

literal: like; likeness; example

SE rendered جستند (jstnd)از (iz)روباهی (rúbáhí)المثل (al-mthl)فرار (frár)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd) as “sought, fox, flight, they”

consider 20% such 15% even 15% like 11% same 9% instance 9% similar 7% what 6% equal 4% likened 4%
شرف
shrf sh-r-f

literal: honor; honored

SE rendered فرار (frár)می (mí)نمودند (nmúdnd)از (iz)شرف (shrf)فوز (fúz)اکبر (ikbr)عنايت (ʿnáyt)عظمی (ʿẓmí)صد (ṣd) as “flight, they, supreme distinction, grace, ten”

honoured 25% excellence 25% hath 25% glorious 25%
اکبر
ikbr k-b-r

literal: greatest; greater

SE rendered نمودند (nmúdnd)از (iz)شرف (shrf)فوز (fúz)اکبر (ikbr)عنايت (ʿnáyt)عظمی (ʿẓmí)صد (ṣd)هزار (hzár)جان (ján)رايگان (ráygán) as “they, supreme distinction, grace, ten, thousand, lives, freely”

most 25% greater 20% transcendent 10% surest 10% great 10% mighty 5% lesser 5% excel 5% greet 5% “greater 5%
عظمی
ʿẓmí ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; great; greatness

SE rendered فوز (fúz)اکبر (ikbr)عنايت (ʿnáyt)عظمی (ʿẓmí)صد (ṣd)هزار (hzár)جان (ján)رايگان (ráygán)انفاق (infáq) as “supreme distinction, grace, ten, thousand, lives, freely, offered”

most 44% supreme 11% vast 11% grievous 11% crown 11% mighty 11%
رايگان
ráygán r-y-g “willingly”

literal: freely; freely, without cost; free/generous

4 occurrences in corpus

فرمودند،
frmúdnd، f-r-m

literal: say; command; says

SE rendered صد (ṣd)هزار (hzár)جان (ján)رايگان (ráygán)انفاق (infáq)می (mí)فرمودند، (frmúdnd،)بلکه (blkh)نفوس (nfús)مقدّسشان (mqddsshán)از (iz)قفس (qfs) as “ten, thousand, lives, freely, offered, Nay, souls, blessed, cage”

تن
tn t-n

literal: body

SE rendered بلکه (blkh)نفوس (nfús)مقدّسشان (mqddsshán)از (iz)قفس (qfs)تن (tn)بيزار (bízár)يک (yk)نفر (nfr)از (iz) as “Nay, souls, blessed, cage, contemptuous, A single, warrior”

2 occurrences in corpus

بيزار
bízár b-z-r “greatness” Distinctive

literal: greatness; great

This form usually rendered as “contemptuous”, “weary”, “aside” (4 occurrences)

contemptuous 33% weary 33% aside 33%
جنود
jnúd j-n-d

literal: hosts; host

SE rendered قفس (qfs)تن (tn)بيزار (bízár)يک (yk)نفر (nfr)از (iz)جنود (jnúd)مقابل (mqábl)گروهی (grúhí)مقاتله (mqátlh) as “cage, contemptuous, A single, warrior, multitude, face and fight”

مقابل
mqábl q-b-l “ere”

literal: before

SE rendered يک (yk)نفر (nfr)از (iz)جنود (jnúd)مقابل (mqábl)گروهی (grúhí)مقاتله (mqátlh) as “A single, warrior, multitude, face and fight”

face 56% before 22% equalleth 11% faced 11%
گونه
gúnh g-w-n “such”

literal: kind, type; kind; manner

9 occurrences in corpus

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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16 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶