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Kitáb-i-Íqán — §250

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 250 of 291.

Source (Persian)

همه اينها مهتدی و مقرّ و مذعن گشتند برای آن شمس ظهور به قسمی که اکثری از مال و عيال گذشتند و به رضای ذی الجلال پيوستند. و از سر جان برای جانان برخاستند و انفاق نمودند به جميع آنچه مرزوق گشته بودند. به قسمی که سينه هاشان محلّ تيرهای مخالفين گشت و سرهاشان زينت سنان مشرکين. چنانچه ارضی نماند مگر آنکه از دم اين ارواح مجرّده آشاميد و سيفی نماند مگر آنکه به گردن هاشان ممسوح گشت. و دليل بر صدق قولشان فعلشان بس. آيا شهادت اين نفوس قدسيّه که به اين طريق جان در راه دوست دادند که همه عالم از ايثار دل و جانشان متحيّر گشتند کفايت نمی کند برای اين عبادی که هستند، و انکار بعضی عباد که دين را به درهمی دادند و بقا را به فنا تبديل نمودند و کوثر قرب را به چشمه های شور معاوضه کردند و بجز اخذ اموال ناس مرادی نجويند؟ چنانچه مشاهده می شود که کلّ به زخارف دنيا مشغول شدهاند و از ربّ اعلی دور مانده.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All these were guided by the light of that Sun of divine Revelation, confessed and acknowledged His truth. Such was their faith, that most of them renounced their substance and kindred, and cleaved to the good-pleasure of the All-Glorious. They laid down their lives for their Well-Beloved, and surrendered their all in His path. Their breasts were made targets for the darts of the enemy, and their heads adorned the spears of the infidel. No land remained which did not drink the blood of these embodiments of detachment, and no sword that did not bruise their necks. Their deeds, alone, testify to the truth of their words. Doth not the testimony of these holy souls, who have so gloriously risen to offer up their lives for their Beloved that the whole world marvelled at the manner of their sacrifice, suffice the people of this day? Is it not sufficient witness against the faithlessness of those who for a trifle betrayed their faith, who bartered away immortality for that which perisheth, who gave up the Kawthar of the divine Presence for salty springs, and whose one aim in life is to usurp the property of others? Even as thou dost witness how all of them have busied themselves with the vanities of the world, and have strayed far from Him Who is the Lord, the Most High.

Translation Notes

ظهور
ẓhúr ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

SE rendered مقرّ (mqrr)مذعن (mdhʿn)گشتند (gshtnd)برای (bráy)شمس (shms)ظهور (ẓhúr)قسمی (qsmí)اکثری (ikthrí)از (iz)مال (mál) as “confessed and, acknowledged His truth, by the light of, Sun, Such was their faith, most of them, their substance”

ذی
dhí dh-w-y

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

SE rendered مال (mál)عيال (ʿíál)گذشتند (gdhshtnd)رضای (rḍáy)ذی (dhí)الجلال (al-jlál)پيوستند (píwstnd)از (iz)سر (sr)جان (ján) as “their substance, kindred, renounced, the good-pleasure, of the All-Glorious, cleaved, their lives”

man 17% beings 17% word 17% discerning 17% any 17% one 17%
پيوستند
píwstnd p-y-w “joined” Distinctive

literal: join; joined

This form usually rendered as “cleaved” (1 occurrences)

joined 50% cleaved 50%
برخاستند
brkhástnd kh-y-z

literal: arose

SE rendered جان (ján)برای (bráy)جانان (jánán)برخاستند (brkhástnd)انفاق (infáq)نمودند (nmúdnd)جميع (jmíʿ) as “their lives, for, their Well-Beloved, surrendered, They, their all”

arisen 20% rise 20% nullified 20% arose 20% rose 20%
مرزوق
mrzúq r-z-q

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

SE rendered انفاق (infáq)نمودند (nmúdnd)جميع (jmíʿ)آنچه (ánchh)مرزوق (mrzúq)گشته (gshth)بودند (búdnd)قسمی (qsmí)سينه (sính) as “surrendered, They, their all, . Their, breasts”

بودند
búdnd b-w-d

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered جميع (jmíʿ)آنچه (ánchh)مرزوق (mrzúq)گشته (gshth)بودند (búdnd)قسمی (qsmí)سينه (sính)هاشان (háshán)محلّ (mḥll) as “their all, . Their, breasts, their, targets”

have 33% had 33% passed 11% lived 11% appeared 11%
هاشان
háshán h-w-sh “hearts”

literal: consciousness; intelligence

hearts 50% minds 50%
مگر
mgr m-g-r

literal: except; except/unless

SE rendered سنان (snán)مشرکين (mshrkín)چنانچه (chnánchh)ارضی (irḍí)نماند (nmánd)مگر (mgr)آنکه (ánkh)از (iz)دم (dm)ارواح (irúáḥ)مجرّده (mjrrdh) as “spears, of the infidel, land, remained, which did not, blood, of detachment”

save 50% other 50%
ارواح
irúáḥ r-w-ḥ

literal: spirit; spiritual; soul

SE rendered ارضی (irḍí)نماند (nmánd)مگر (mgr)آنکه (ánkh)از (iz)دم (dm)ارواح (irúáḥ)مجرّده (mjrrdh)آشاميد (áshámíd)سيفی (sífí) as “land, remained, which did not, blood, of detachment, drink, sword”

souls 43% essences 14% spirits 10% soul 5% human 5% embodiments 5% hearts 5% holy 5% detachment 5% all 5%
گردن

literal: neck

2 occurrences in corpus

بر
br b-r-r “to”

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered گردن (grdn)هاشان (háshán)ممسوح (mmsúḥ)گشت (gsht)دليل (dlíl)بر (br)صدق (ṣdq)قولشان (qúlshán)فعلشان (fʿlshán)بس (bs)آيا (áyá)شهادت (shhádt) as “necks, their, bruise, testify, to, truth, words, deeds, alone, Doth not, testimony”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
بس

literal: very

2 occurrences in corpus

قدسيّه
qdsísh q-d-s

literal: holiness; holy; sanctified

SE rendered بس (bs)آيا (áyá)شهادت (shhádt)نفوس (nfús)قدسيّه (qdsísh)طريق (ṭríq)جان (ján)راه (ráh) as “alone, Doth not, testimony, souls, their lives, for their”

طريق
ṭríq ṭ-r-q

literal: way; path; road

SE rendered نفوس (nfús)قدسيّه (qdsísh)طريق (ṭríq)جان (ján)راه (ráh)دوست (dúst)دادند (dádnd)همه (hmh) as “souls, their lives, for their, Beloved, offer up, the whole world”

path 40% road 20% highway 20% straight 20%
عالم
ʿálm ʿ-l-m

literal: world; knowledge; worlds

SE rendered جان (ján)راه (ráh)دوست (dúst)دادند (dádnd)همه (hmh)عالم (ʿálm)از (iz)ايثار (iythár)دل (dl)جانشان (jánshán)متحيّر (mtḥíḥr) as “their lives, for their, Beloved, offer up, the whole world, at, sacrifice, marvelled”

world 68% earth 8% mankind 7% realm 4% men 3% whole 2% all 2% all-knowing 2% knoweth 2% dwell 1%
دل
dl d-l

literal: heart

SE rendered دوست (dúst)دادند (dádnd)همه (hmh)عالم (ʿálm)از (iz)ايثار (iythár)دل (dl)جانشان (jánshán)متحيّر (mtḥíḥr)گشتند (gshtnd)کفايت (kfáyt) as “Beloved, offer up, the whole world, at, sacrifice, marvelled, suffice”

heart 46% hearts 15% soul 15% affections 15% eagerness 8%
جانشان
jánshán j-w-n

literal: soul; life; youth

SE rendered همه (hmh)عالم (ʿálm)از (iz)ايثار (iythár)دل (dl)جانشان (jánshán)متحيّر (mtḥíḥr)گشتند (gshtnd)کفايت (kfáyt) as “the whole world, at, sacrifice, marvelled, suffice”

lives 33% life 22% soul 11% youthful 11% all 6% myriad 6% well-beloved 6% youth 6%
نمی
nmí n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered متحيّر (mtḥíḥr)گشتند (gshtnd)کفايت (kfáyt)نمی (nmí)کند (knd)برای (bráy)عبادی (ʿbádí)هستند، (hstnd،) as “marvelled, suffice, the people of, have”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
بعضی
bʿḍí b-ʿ-ḍ

literal: some; part; some, part

SE rendered عبادی (ʿbádí)هستند، (hstnd،)انکار (inkár)بعضی (bʿḍí)عباد (ʿbád)دين (dín)درهمی (drhmí)دادند (dádnd) as “the people of, have, faithlessness, those who, faith, a trifle, betrayed”

some 43% certain 22% few 12% others 10% many 3% who 3% number 3% whenever 1% infrequent 1% there 1%
درهمی
drhmí d-r-h-m “trifle”

literal: dirham; coin

2 occurrences in corpus

فنا
fná f-n-y

literal: annihilation; perish; perishing

SE rendered درهمی (drhmí)دادند (dádnd)بقا (bqá)فنا (fná)تبديل (tbdíl)نمودند (nmúdnd)کوثر (kúthr)قرب (qrb) as “a trifle, betrayed, immortality, bartered, Kawthar, of the divine Presence”

extinction 29% death 29% transient 14% poverty 14% utter 14%
های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered کوثر (kúthr)قرب (qrb)چشمه (chshmh)های (háy)شور (shúr)معاوضه (mʿáwḍh)کردند (krdnd)بجز (bjz)اخذ (ikhdh) as “Kawthar, of the divine Presence, salty springs, gave up, usurp”

شور
shúr sh-w-r

literal: indication; consultation; consult

SE rendered کوثر (kúthr)قرب (qrb)چشمه (chshmh)های (háy)شور (shúr)معاوضه (mʿáwḍh)کردند (krdnd)بجز (bjz)اخذ (ikhdh)اموال (imúál) as “Kawthar, of the divine Presence, salty springs, gave up, usurp, the property”

salty 50% briny 50%
معاوضه
mʿáwḍh ʿ-w-ḍ

literal: exchange; instead

SE rendered کوثر (kúthr)قرب (qrb)چشمه (chshmh)های (háy)شور (shúr)معاوضه (mʿáwḍh)کردند (krdnd)بجز (bjz)اخذ (ikhdh)اموال (imúál)ناس (nás) as “Kawthar, of the divine Presence, salty springs, gave up, usurp, the property, others”

3 occurrences in corpus

بجز
bjz j-z

literal: except

SE rendered چشمه (chshmh)های (háy)شور (shúr)معاوضه (mʿáwḍh)کردند (krdnd)بجز (bjz)اخذ (ikhdh)اموال (imúál)ناس (nás)مرادی (mrádí)نجويند؟ (njúynd؟) as “salty springs, gave up, usurp, the property, others, one aim in life, have”

apart 50% besides 50%
می
m-y-y “will”

literal: present continuous marker; continuous-marker

3 occurrences in corpus

شدهاند
shdhánd sh-d

literal: become; to become

SE rendered زخارف (zkhárf)دنيا (dníá)مشغول (mshghúl)شدهاند (shdhánd)از (iz)ربّ (rbb)اعلی (iʿlí)دور (dúr) as “the vanities, world, busied, Lord, Most High, strayed far from”

become 33% had 33% proceeded 33%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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