| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight
they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them.
Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. |
 |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Rejoice not in what ye have possessed in the evening, for in the morning it will be possessed by some one else in your stead. Thus ye are informed, by the All-knowing, the Learned! |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Say: Do not rejoice in what you possess at nightfall, when at sunrise another will possess it. Thus does the Knower, the Omniscient One, inform you. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is
lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye
cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Say: Have ye seen any endurance or perpetuation for that which ye have? No! By Myself, the merciful, were ye of the just! |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Say: Have you seen that your possessions remain or are loyal to you? No! By My soul, the Merciful. If only you were of the just! |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Your lives pass away as the winds pass away, and the carpets of your glory will be folded as the carpets of yore were folded. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
The days of your life pass as pass the winds. The carpet of your glory shall fold up as did that of the ancients. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost
centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed
the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Think, O people! Where are your past days, and where are your elapsed centuries? Blessed are the days which passed in the celebration of God, and the time which was spent in the commemoration of the wise. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Think, O people! Where are your past days? Where are the eras that have elapsed? Blessed are the days that have passed in the remembrance of God and the times spent in the remembrance of Him, the Wise One. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor
the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the
ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from
Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling,
the Almighty. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| By My life! The glory of the glorious doth not endure, nor the gold of the rich, nor the power of the wretched. All will perish by a word on His part. Verily He is the potent, the mighty, the able! |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
By My life, the might of the Mighty shall not abide, nor the vanities of the rich,
nor the pomp of the wicked. [note 1] All shall pass away by a word from Him. He, indeed, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Strong One. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they
will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| That which people possess of worldly seductions, will not profit them, and they are heedless of that which would profit them. They shall awake hereafter but cannot find
that which passed them by, in the days of their Lord, the mighty, the extolled! |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Their household goods will not benefit people. They have been careless of what benefits them. They shall be aroused and yet not find what has passed them by in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Had they known, they would have bestowed all their possessions that their names might be mentioned before the throne. Verily are ye not of the dead? |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
If they only knew, they would spend what they have, so that their names might be remembered before the Throne, are they not of the dead? |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Amongst the people is he whose learning hath made him proud, and who hath been debarred thereby from recognizing My Name, the Self-Subsisting; who, when he heareth
the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth greater in his own esteem than Nimrod. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| From among the people are some who are deluded by science, whereby they are witheld from My name, the protector. And when they hear from behind them the noise or their footsteps, they think of themselves as being greater than Nimrod. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
A certain man has been puffed up by learning and has been deprived thereby of My Self-Subsistent Name, and whenever he hears the sound of footsteps behind him, he thinks himself bigger than Nimrod. [note 2] |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Say: O rejected one! Where now is his abode? By God, it is the nethermost fire. Say: O concourse of divines! Hear ye not the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen? See ye
not this Sun that shineth in refulgent splendour above the All-Glorious Horizon? For how long will ye worship the idols of your evil passions? Forsake your vain imaginings, and turn yourselves unto God, your Everlasting Lord. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Say to them: O ye abundant! Where is Nimrod? By God he is indeed in the lowest hell. Say, O concourse of the learned! Do ye not hear the sound of My pen, the
Supreme? And do ye not see this sun which shines from the most glorious horizon? How long will ye devote yourselves to the idols of your lusts? Set aside imaginations and turn your faces to God, your pre-existent Lord. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Say: Where is he (Nimrod), O rejected one (al-mardud)? By God, he is certainly in the lowest hell-fire! Say: O assembly of the learned, [note 1] do you not hear the
scratching of My Most High Pen? Do you not see the Sun rising from the most splendid (al-abha - from the same root as Baha') Horizon? How long will you pray in seclusion to the idols of your passions? Leave the illusions and face towards God, your Eternal Master. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God,
the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of
them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place
of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall
pass to the Aghsan, and after them to the House of
Justice--should it be established in the world by
then--that they may use these endowments for the
benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this
Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon
them by Him Who is the God of might and power. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Endowments which are apportioned to charity, are confided unto God, the revealer of the signs! And no one has any right to dispose of them - save by permission of the
dayspring of inspiration. After Him the decision of such disposal to be confined to the branches; after the branches to the House of Justice when it becomes dominately established in countries; that these endowments be spent in the districts where the religion of God predominates and is
exalted and for the things which are commanded by One, potent and mighty, |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
The religious endowments (al-awqaf) [note 2] given especially for charity have been returned to God, the Appearing-place of Verses (mazhar al-ayat). No
one may spend them except after permission of the Rising-place of Revelation. After him the command goes back to the Branches, [note 3] and after them to the House of Justice. If His Cause is established throughout the lands, let them spend the endowments in the high places of
this Cause and for what they were commanded by the Powerful, the Mighty One. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people
of Baha who speak not except by His leave and judge
not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in
this Tablet--lo, they are the champions of victory
betwixt heaven and earth-- |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| otherwise to be entrusted unto those people of Baha who never utter a word but with His permission, and who do not decide anything but in accordance with the decision
given by God in this tablet. These people are the protectors of victory betwixt the earth and heaven. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Otherwise let them (the endowments) return to the people of al-Baha' who only speak after permission is given by Him, and only command that which God has commanded in this Tablet. Those are the Guardians of Victory between the heavens and the earths. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) |
Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful. |
|
| Haddad translation (1900-01) |
Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| They will spend such endowments in conformity with the provisions laid down in the book revealed on the part of the one mighty and generous. |
|
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) |
Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
|
Let them spend them in the way defined in the Book by a Generous, Mighty One. |
| Notes to Translations (1998) |
Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |