Skip to main content

The Hidden Words — §104

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 104 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢٩) ﴿ ای پسر جوددر باديه های عدم بودی و ترا بمدد تراب امر در عالم ملک ظاهر نمودم و جميع ذرّات ممکنات و حقائق کائنات را بر تربيت تو گماشتم چنانچه قبل از خروج از بطن امّ دو چشمه شير منير برای تو مقرّر داشتم و چشمها برای حفظ تو گماشتم و حبّ ترا در قلوب القا نمودم و بصرف جود ترا در ظلّ رحمتم پروردم و از جوهر فضل و رحمت ترا حفظ فرمودم * و مقصود از جميع اين مراتب آن بود که بجبروت باقی ما درآئی و قابل بخششهای غيبی ما شوی * و تو غافل چون بثمر آمدی از تمامی نعيمم غفلت نمودی و بگمان باطل خود پرداختی بقسمی که بالمرّه فراموش نمودی و از باب دوست بايوان دشمن مقرّ يافتی و مسکن نمودی*

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(29) O SON OF BOUNTY! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou didst remain, and when fully grown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself with thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst become wholly forgetful, and, turning away from the portals of the Friend didst abide within the courts of My enemy.

Translation Notes

های
háy null

literal: and; that; in

SE rendered پسر (psr)جود (júd)باديه (bádíh)های (háy)عدم (ʿdm)بودی (búdí)ترا (trá)بمدد (bmdd)تراب (tráb)امر (imr) as “SON, BOUNTY, the wastes, nothingness, thee, with the clay, command”

بودی
búdí b-w-d “was”

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered پسر (psr)جود (júd)باديه (bádíh)های (háy)عدم (ʿdm)بودی (búdí)ترا (trá)بمدد (bmdd)تراب (tráb)امر (imr)عالم (ʿálm) as “SON, BOUNTY, the wastes, nothingness, thee, with the clay, command, existence”

hath 35% have 30% had 11% could 4% found 3% should 3% can 3% did 3% thus 3% must 3%
ترا

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

13 occurrences in corpus

تراب
tráb t-r-b

literal: dust; dust, earth; dust/earth

SE rendered باديه (bádíh)های (háy)عدم (ʿdm)بودی (búdí)ترا (trá)بمدد (bmdd)تراب (tráb)امر (imr)عالم (ʿálm)ملک (mlk)ظاهر (ẓáhr)نمودم (nmúdm) as “the wastes, nothingness, thee, with the clay, command, existence, to appear, have”

dust 80% earth 7% clay 6% depths 2% upon 2% lowly 2% created 2%
ظاهر
ẓáhr ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

SE rendered ترا (trá)بمدد (bmdd)تراب (tráb)امر (imr)عالم (ʿálm)ملک (mlk)ظاهر (ẓáhr)نمودم (nmúdm)جميع (jmíʿ)ذرّات (dhrrát)ممکنات (mmknát) as “thee, with the clay, command, existence, to appear, have, every atom, created things”

ذرّات
dhrrát dh-r-r

literal: atom; atoms

SE rendered عالم (ʿálm)ملک (mlk)ظاهر (ẓáhr)نمودم (nmúdm)جميع (jmíʿ)ذرّات (dhrrát)ممکنات (mmknát)حقائق (ḥqáʾq) as “existence, to appear, have, every atom, created things, the essence”

atoms 40% all 30% atom 20% same 10%
کائنات
káʾnát k-w-n

literal: be; to be

SE rendered جميع (jmíʿ)ذرّات (dhrrát)ممکنات (mmknát)حقائق (ḥqáʾq)کائنات (káʾnát)بر (br)تربيت (trbít)تو (tú)گماشتم (gmáshtm)چنانچه (chnánchh) as “every atom, created things, the essence, training, thou, ordained, Thus”

universe 25% things 25% beings 25% all 25%
بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered ممکنات (mmknát)حقائق (ḥqáʾq)کائنات (káʾnát)بر (br)تربيت (trbít)تو (tú)گماشتم (gmáshtm)چنانچه (chnánchh) as “created things, the essence, training, thou, ordained, Thus”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
تو
t-w-w “thou”

literal: you

2 occurrences in corpus

گماشتم
gmáshtm g-m-sh “ordained”

literal: to appoint; appointed, employed; to appoint, to apply

4 occurrences in corpus

از

literal: from

SE rendered تربيت (trbít)تو (tú)گماشتم (gmáshtm)چنانچه (chnánchh)از (iz)خروج (khrúj)از (iz)بطن (bṭn)دو (dú)چشمه (chshmh)شير (shír) as “training, thou, ordained, Thus, from, issue, womb, two, founts, milk”

23 occurrences in corpus

داشتم
dáshtm d-ʾ-sh-t

literal: have; had; to have

SE rendered چشمه (chshmh)شير (shír)منير (mnír)برای (bráy)تو (tú)مقرّر (mqrrr)داشتم (dáshtm)چشمها (chshmhá)برای (bráy)حفظ (ḥfẓ)تو (tú) as “founts, milk, gleaming, for thee, thou, destined, eyes”

القا
al-qá l-q-y

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

SE rendered تو (tú)گماشتم (gmáshtm)حبّ (ḥbb)ترا (trá)قلوب (qlúb)القا (al-qá)نمودم (nmúdm)بصرف (bṣrf)جود (júd)ترا (trá)ظلّ (ẓll) as “thou, love, thee, hearts, loving-kindness, shade”

فرمودم
frmúdm f-r-m

literal: say; command; says

SE rendered از (iz)جوهر (júhr)فضل (fḍl)رحمت (rḥmt)ترا (trá)حفظ (ḥfẓ)فرمودم (frmúdm)مقصود (mqṣúd)از (iz)جميع (jmíʿ) as “from, essence, grace, thee, guarded, purpose, all”

have 80% gave 20%
آمدی
ámdí ʾ-m-d

literal: come; hope; to come

SE rendered شوی (shúy)تو (tú)غافل (gháfl)چون (chún)بثمر (bthmr)آمدی (ámdí)از (iz)تمامی (tmámí)نعيمم (nʿímm)غفلت (ghflt) as “become, heedless, when, fully grown, all, bounties, neglect”

نمودی
nmúdí n-m-ود

literal: do; to do; do/make

SE rendered بثمر (bthmr)آمدی (ámdí)از (iz)تمامی (tmámí)نعيمم (nʿímm)غفلت (ghflt)نمودی (nmúdí)بگمان (bgmán)باطل (báṭl)پرداختی (prdákhtí) as “fully grown, all, bounties, neglect, thine idle imaginings, occupied”

guided 50% having 50%
باطل
báṭl b-ṭ-l

literal: falsehood; vain; false, vain

SE rendered تمامی (tmámí)نعيمم (nʿímm)غفلت (ghflt)نمودی (nmúdí)بگمان (bgmán)باطل (báṭl)پرداختی (prdákhtí)بقسمی (bqsmí)بالمرّه (bálmrrh) as “all, bounties, neglect, thine idle imaginings, occupied, such wise, wholly”

پرداختی
prdákhtí p-r-d-ʾ-z “occupied”

literal: occupied, engaged

3 occurrences in corpus

بايوان
báyúán ای-w-ʾ-n “courts”

literal: court, hall

1 occurrence in corpus

مسکن
mskn s-k-n

literal: dwelling; dwelling, residing

SE rendered دوست (dúst)بايوان (báyúán)دشمن (dshmn)مقرّ (mqrr)يافتی (yáftí)مسکن (mskn) as “Friend, courts, enemy, abide”

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf cover

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Gleanings cover

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

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.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán cover

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶