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The Hidden Words — §154

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 154 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٧٧) ﴿ ای پسر انصافدر ليل جمال هيکل بقا از عقبه زمرّدی وفا بسدره منتهی رجوع نمود و گريست گريستنی که جميع ملأ عالين و کروبين از ناله او گريستند * و بعد از سبب نوحه و ندبه استفسار شد مذکور داشت که حسب الأمر در عقبه وفا منتظر ماندم و رائحه وفا از اهل ارض نيافتم و بعد آهنگ رجوع نمودم ملحوظ افتاد که حمامات قدسی چند در دست کلاب ارض مبتلی شده‌اند * در اين وقت حوريّه الهی از قصر روحانی بی ستر و حجاب دويد و سؤال از اسامی ايشان نمود و جميع مذکور شد الّا اسمی از اسمآء * و چون اصرار رفت حرف اوّل اسم از لسان جاری شد اهل غرفات از مکامن عزّ خود بيرون دويدند و چون بحرف دوم رسيد جميع بر تراب ريختند * در آن وقت ندا از مکمن قرب رسيد زياده بر اين جايز نه * إنّا کنّا شهدآء علی ما فعلوا و حينئذٍ کانوا يفعلون *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(77) O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: “Thus far and no farther.” Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing.

Translation Notes

هيکل
híkl h-y-k-l

literal: temple; form; temples

SE rendered پسر (psr)انصاف (inṣáf)ليل (líl)جمال (jmál)هيکل (híkl)بقا (bqá)از (iz)عقبه (ʿqbh)زمرّدی (zmrrdí)وفا (wfá)بسدره (bsdrh) as “SON, JUSTICE, the night-season, beauty, immortal Being, from, height, emerald, fidelity, Sadratu’l-Muntahá”

temple 29% form 24% embodiment 6% immortal 6% incarnation 6% glory 6% state 6% idol 6% one 6% age 6%
زمرّدی
zmrrdí z-m-r-d “emerald”

literal: emerald

2 occurrences in corpus

منتهی
mnthí n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered بقا (bqá)از (iz)عقبه (ʿqbh)زمرّدی (zmrrdí)وفا (wfá)بسدره (bsdrh)منتهی (mnthí)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمود (nmúd)گريست (gríst)گريستنی (grístní) as “immortal Being, from, height, emerald, fidelity, Sadratu’l-Muntahá, hath, wept, with such a weeping”

گريستنی
grístní g-r-y “weep” Distinctive

literal: weep; weeping

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

weep 20% wept 20% such 20% wailed 20% bewailing 20%
ملأ
mlʾ m-l-ʾ

literal: assembly/people; concourse

SE rendered نمود (nmúd)گريست (gríst)گريستنی (grístní)جميع (jmíʿ)ملأ (mlʾ)عالين (ʿálín)کروبين (krúbín)از (iz)ناله (nálh)گريستند (grístnd) as “hath, wept, with such a weeping, the concourse, on high, dwellers of the realms above, at, lamenting, wailed”

نوحه
núḥh n-w-ḥ

literal: lament; lamentation

SE rendered گريستند (grístnd)از (iz)سبب (sbb)نوحه (núḥh)ندبه (ndbh)استفسار (istfsár)مذکور (mdhkúr)داشت (dásht) as “wailed, OF, the wailing, weeping, asked, reply, waited”

حسب
ḥsb ḥ-s-b

literal: according to; according

SE rendered ندبه (ndbh)استفسار (istfsár)مذکور (mdhkúr)داشت (dásht)حسب (ḥsb)الأمر (al-ʾamr)عقبه (ʿqbh)وفا (wfá)منتظر (mntẓr) as “weeping, asked, reply, waited, bidden, hill, faithfulness, expectant”

ماندم
mándm m-ʾ-n-d

literal: remain; like; to remain, stay

SE rendered الأمر (al-ʾamr)عقبه (ʿqbh)وفا (wfá)منتظر (mntẓr)ماندم (mándm)رائحه (ráʾḥh)وفا (wfá)از (iz)اهل (ihl)ارض (irḍ)نيافتم (níáftm) as “bidden, hill, fidelity, expectant, fragrance, from, earth, inhaled not”

آهنگ
áhng ʾ-h-n-g

literal: intention; intent

SE rendered وفا (wfá)از (iz)اهل (ihl)ارض (irḍ)نيافتم (níáftm)آهنگ (áhng)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمودم (nmúdm)ملحوظ (mlḥúẓ)افتاد (iftád) as “fidelity, from, earth, inhaled not, return, have, beheld”

2 occurrences in corpus

ملحوظ
mlḥúẓ l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: observation; observe; observation, consideration

SE rendered نيافتم (níáftm)آهنگ (áhng)رجوع (rjúʿ)نمودم (nmúdm)ملحوظ (mlḥúẓ)افتاد (iftád)حمامات (ḥmámát)قدسی (qdsí)چند (chnd) as “inhaled not, return, have, beheld, doves, holiness, certain”

beheld 50% doth 50%
کلاب
kláb k-l-b “dogs”

literal: dogs; dog

3 occurrences in corpus

وقت
wqt w-q-t

literal: time; appointed time; times

SE rendered ارض (irḍ)مبتلی (mbtlí)شده‌اند (shdh‌ánd)وقت (wqt)حوريّه (ḥúrírh)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání) as “earth, tried, was, Maid, heaven, from, mansion, mystic”

time 38% hour 25% ages 6% moment 6% days 6% age 6% what 6% chance 6%
بی
b-y

literal: without; is; to

SE rendered حوريّه (ḥúrírh)الهی (al-hí)از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání)بی (bí)ستر (str)حجاب (ḥjáb)دويد (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí) as “Maid, heaven, of, mansion, mystic, unveiled, hastened forth, asked, names”

5 occurrences in corpus

حجاب
ḥjáb ḥ-j-b

literal: veil; veiled; veils

SE rendered الهی (al-hí)از (iz)قصر (qṣr)روحانی (rúḥání)بی (bí)ستر (str)حجاب (ḥjáb)دويد (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí) as “heaven, of, mansion, mystic, unveiled, hastened forth, asked, names”

ايشان
iyshán ʾ-y-sh

literal: they; they, them; they/them

SE rendered حجاب (ḥjáb)دويد (dúyd)سؤال (sʾál)از (iz)اسامی (isámí)ايشان (iyshán)نمود (nmúd)جميع (jmíʿ)مذکور (mdhkúr) as “hastened forth, asked, of, names, all, told”

3 occurrences in corpus

لسان
lsán l-s-n

literal: tongue; tongue, language; tongues

SE rendered چون (chún)اصرار (iṣrár)رفت (rft)حرف (ḥrf)اوّل (iwwl)اسم (ism)از (iz)لسان (lsán)جاری (járí)اهل (ihl)غرفات (ghrfát)از (iz)مکامن (mkámn) as “when, urged, repaired, letter, first, OF, uttered, dwellers, chambers, glory”

عزّ
ʿzz ʿ-z-z

literal: glory; mighty; might

SE rendered جاری (járí)اهل (ihl)غرفات (ghrfát)از (iz)مکامن (mkámn)عزّ (ʿzz)بيرون (bírún)دويدند (dúydnd)چون (chún)بحرف (bḥrf) as “uttered, dwellers, chambers, OF, glory, forth out, rushed, letter”

بيرون
bírún b-r-n “showers” Distinctive

literal: rain; outside, out; outside

This form usually rendered as “went”, “brought” (2 occurrences)

went 50% brought 50%
ريختند
ríkhtnd r-y-z “rot”

literal: to fall apart; scatter; pour

3 occurrences in corpus

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶

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50 ¶

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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 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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59 ¶