The Hidden Words — §22

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 22 of 160.

Source (Arabic)

(٢١) ﴿ يَا ابْنَ البَشَرِ ﴾ قَدَّرْتُ لَكَ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ الأَبْهَى الْفَواكِهَ الأَصْفى، كَيْفَ أَعْرَضْتَ عَنْهُ وَرَضِيتَ بِالَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى، فارْجِعْ إِلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ فِي الأُفُقِ الأَعْلَى.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

(21) O SON OF MAN! Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.

Translation Notes

ابْنَ

ibn b-n-y → “son”

literal: son; sons

son 93% scion 3% descendant 2% sons 1% daughter 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: with the children gleaningsGWB §154: Son of Man kitab-i-iqanKIQ §68: the people of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §602: their children the-hidden-wordsHW §151: CHILDREN will-and-testamentW&T §5: Divine Edifice epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §174: built gleaningsGWB §424: ones of the earth

البَشَرِ

al-bashar b-sh-r → “of man”

literal: human

man 40% mankind 20% unto 10% man-made 10% human 10% apprise 10%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §51: mankind gleaningsGWB §299: Great is the blessedness that awaiteth thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §71: Happy art thou prayers-and-meditationsP&M §291: upon them tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: rejoice at this announcement the-hidden-wordsHW §22: OF MAN will-and-testamentW&T §35: rejoiced epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: that bringest good tidings

قَدَّرْتُ

qaddart q-d-r → “i have hung” Distinctive

literal: power; powerful

This form usually rendered as “power”, “thou”, “might” (157 occurrences)

SE expanded to “I have hung”

power 44% thou 30% might 8% dominion 3% omnipotence 2% through 2% didst 2% divine 2% ordained 2% hast 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §11: the Almighty fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §547: greater the kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §237: least prayers-and-meditationsP&M §699: of Whose omnipotence tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: the Powerful the-hidden-wordsHW §72: be in thy power

الشَّجَرِ

ash-shajar sh-j-r

literal: tree; trees

SE rendered قَدَّرْتُ (qaddart), لَكَ (lak), الشَّجَرِ (ash-shajar), الأَبْهَى (al-ʾabhá), الْفَواكِهَ (al-fawákih) as “I have hung, for thee, effulgent glory, the choicest fruits”

tree 72% burning 10% same 4% upon 2% bush 2% “the 2% tree—which 2% “tree 2% former 2% verily 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: their midst gleaningsGWB §56: leaves kitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: “Tree tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: Verily He is the Tree will-and-testamentW&T §57: Lote-Trees epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §171: the Bush gleaningsGWB §98: the same Tree kitab-i-iqanKIQ §76: The former

الأَبْهَى

al-ʾabhá b-h-y → “effulgent glory” Distinctive

literal: most-glorious; most glorious; glory

This form usually rendered as “all-glorious”, “most”, “abhá” (73 occurrences)

all-glorious 72% most 8% abhá 6% glory 6% effulgent 3% everlasting 1% resplendent 1% glorious 1% what 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §9: the Glory of God (Bahá)fire-tabletFire §48: Bahá gleaningsGWB §234: and the brightness of His light kitab-i-iqanKIQ §149: glorious prayers-and-meditationsP&M §733: most luminous the-hidden-wordsHW §15: My glory epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §97: the All-Glorious gleaningsGWB §311: resplendent

الْفَواكِهَ

al-fawákih f-k-h → “the choicest fruits”

literal: fruit; fruits

SE expanded to “the choicest fruits”

5 occurrences in corpus

kitab-i-iqanKIQ §220: fruits prayers-and-meditationsP&M §406: the fruits

الأَصْفى،

aṣ-ṣfى، ṣ-f-w

literal: chosen ones; chosen-ones; attributes

SE rendered الأَبْهَى (al-ʾabhá), الْفَواكِهَ (al-fawákih), الأَصْفى، (aṣ-ṣfى،), كَيْفَ (kayf), أَعْرَضْتَ (ʾaʿraḍt) as “effulgent glory, the choicest fruits, wherefore, hast thou turned away”