Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Persian (Farsi) term or phrase:
خدایا تو آنی که میدانی
English translation:
O Lord, thou art that which/what/whom thou knowest
Persian (Farsi) term
خدایا تو آنی که میدانی
Nov 25, 2008 12:36: Ebrahim Golavar changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Nov 25, 2008 12:42: Rahi Moosavi changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Nov 27, 2008 08:56: Behzad Molavi Created KOG entry
PRO (4): Hossein Abbasi Mohaghegh, Reza Mohammadnia, Ebrahim Golavar, Habib Alimardani
When entering new questions, KudoZ askers are given an opportunity* to classify the difficulty of their questions as 'easy' or 'pro'. If you feel a question marked 'easy' should actually be marked 'pro', and if you have earned more than 20 KudoZ points, you can click the "Vote PRO" button to recommend that change.
How to tell the difference between "easy" and "pro" questions:
An easy question is one that any bilingual person would be able to answer correctly. (Or in the case of monolingual questions, an easy question is one that any native speaker of the language would be able to answer correctly.)
A pro question is anything else... in other words, any question that requires knowledge or skills that are specialized (even slightly).
Another way to think of the difficulty levels is this: an easy question is one that deals with everyday conversation. A pro question is anything else.
When deciding between easy and pro, err on the side of pro. Most questions will be pro.
* Note: non-member askers are not given the option of entering 'pro' questions; the only way for their questions to be classified as 'pro' is for a ProZ.com member or members to re-classify it.
Proposed translations
Australia
Practical, Punctual & Prestigious
Native in: Persian (Farsi) 
Works in: Persian (Farsi) to English, English to Persian (Farsi)
O Lord, you are whom you know
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2008-11-25 12:32:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another more poetic variation:
O Lord, Thou art whom thou know
| disagree |
Ryan Emami
: I think you have misunderstood the line. It's not a matter of God knowing Himself, but of God knowing everything!
21 mins
|
|
I opt not to comment on religious matters as it's clear from everyone's exhibition of strong sentiments about what God might be or might not be, instead of attending to the phrase's literary aspect.
|
|
| agree |
Alireza Yazdunpanuh
: To me, it is absolutely a matter of the Almighty knowing Himself.
25 mins
|
|
thank you for your approval.
|
|
| disagree |
Ebrahim Golavar
: sorry sir, what does it mean? Would please explain it to me?( I mean your translation)
1 hr
|
|
When Moses asks for God's name, Yahweh in Exodus 3:14 replies in Hebrew: Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I am that I am)! Regretfully all liturgical and theological texts are as vague as this examplar phrase and so I believe it is the original context that's at fault.
|
Marketing & technical expert, +12yrs
Native in: Persian (Farsi)
Works in: English to Persian (Farsi), Persian (Farsi) to English
Lord, thy are the one thy know
| neutral |
Behzad Molavi
: thy is a possessive determiner not a pronoun.
4 mins
|
|
yeah, you are right. I was just in hurry and I didn't pay enough attention. thanks anyway dear!
|
professional, reliable and on time
Native in: Persian (Farsi)
Works in: English to Persian (Farsi), Persian (Farsi) to English, PersianOld(ca600-400B.C.) to English, and 13 more.
Oh God, You are the one who knows
Iran
precise
Native in: Persian (Farsi)
Works in: Persian (Farsi) to English, English to Persian (Farsi)
Oh God! Thou are the one who knows.
United Kingdom
15 yrs exper. & UK-based PhD Translation
Native in: Persian (Farsi) 
Works in: English to Persian (Farsi), Persian (Farsi) to English, Dari to English, and 6 more.
O' God! Thou are what thou know
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2008-11-25 12:27:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the use of 'whom' instead of 'what' is ok too.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 49 mins (2008-11-25 13:12:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
In Reply to a colleague whom I don't know (sorry the link does not show his comment). The word آنی justifies my answer.
| agree |
Reza Mohammadnia
4 mins
|
|
Thank!
|
|
| agree |
LegalTrans D
: I tried to delete my agreement as it is inappropriate; the site won't accept it. The use of whom instead of what is certainly not ok, and the passage is misunderstood. God's knowledge is not limited.
15 mins
|
|
Thanks. but this is a known fact in religion that only God knows himself. آنیI think you have misunderstood the meaning of this word.
|
|
| disagree |
Ryan Emami
: I think you have misunderstood the line. It's not a matter of God knowing Himself, but of God knowing everything!
18 mins
|
|
Thanks. but I disagree with you. please refer to Mr. Yazdanpanah's explanation.
|
|
| agree |
Alireza Yazdunpanuh
: According to the philosophical principles of religion no one knows the Almighty as one should but Himself. This sentence is refering to this fact.
26 mins
|
|
Thanks for providing more explanation.
|
|
| agree |
Behzad Molavi
: I think no amount of arguing is going to lead us anywhere as the poet has attempted to keep his/her stanza rhyming and let the reader muse on in the process.
52 mins
|
|
Thanks!
|
|
| neutral |
Farzad Akmali
: I think its not proper to use "what" for God
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks! What is even used in translation of Quoran. I don't see what is wrong with it but I would welcome your suggestion.
|
|
| agree |
Edward Plaisance Jr
: "...Thou art what Thou knowest" (or....You are what You know). The issue here is not theology but the best translation of the Persian phrase into English. We could also say "O God, You are that which you know."
1 day 11 hrs
|
|
Thanks!
|
Commited to quality, Commited to you!
Native in: Persian (Farsi)
Works in: English to Persian (Farsi), Persian (Farsi) to English, Persian (Farsi), and 3 more.
O` God! Thou art the One who knowest.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-11-25 15:39:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
concerning literary translation , what is suggested is to translate sentences or phrases literally( word by word).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-11-25 15:47:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
this sentence, obviously, means: God the all_knowing no more meaning can be infered.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-11-25 15:59:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The title in Hamlet : " He that thou knowest thine" ,
as "thou" and " thine" are not capitalised, is not the point.
even if it is the persian shoud be:
خدایا تو آنی که خود را میشناسی
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2008-11-25 20:01:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I am sincerely sorry about the above-mentioned " to translate sentences or phrases literally( word by word); it is not a generall rule. I made the mistake due to ignorance.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 hrs (2008-11-26 08:21:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
www.bcca.org/bahaivision/prayers/21.html - 11k
www.bahaiprayers.org/protection6.htm - 5k
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=24536
http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405136051_chunk_g978140513605118
| neutral |
DR Maryam Taghavi
: I agree with you concerning the ambiguty of text as we need the following stanza but on the point of literary translation please kindly consider my email. Thanks!
2 hrs
|
|
thanks a lot for your useful comment!
|
Iran
Native in: Persian (Farsi)
Works in: Persian (Farsi) to English, English to Persian (Farsi)
Discussion
Thanks!