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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §157

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 157 of 268.

Source (Persian)

هل السّلطان اطّلع و غضّ الطّرف عن فعلک ام اخذه الرّعب بما عوت شرذمة من الذّئاب الّذين نبذوا صراط اللّه وراءهم و اخذوا سبيلک من دون بيّنة و لا کتاب ؟ انّا سمعنا بانّ ممالک الايران تزيّنت بطراز العدل فلمّا تفرّسنا وجدناها مطالع الظّلم و مشارق الاعتساف * انّا نری العدل تحت مخالب الظّلم نسأل اللّه ان يخلّصه بقوّة من عنده و سلطان من لدنه انّه هو المهيمن علی من فی الارضين و السّموات * ليس لاحد ان يعترض علی نفس فيما ورد علی امر اللّه ينبغی لکلّ من توجّه الی الافق الاعلی ان يتمسّک بحبل الاصطبار و يتوکّل علی اللّه المهيمن المختار * يا احبّاء اللّه اشربوا من عين الحکمة و طيروا فی هواء الحکمة و تکلّموا بالحکمة و البيان کذلک يامرکم ربّکم العزيز العلّام * *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

"Hath the Sháh been informed, and chosen to close his eyes to thine acts? Or hath he been seized with fear at the howling of a pack of wolves who have cast the path of God behind their backs and followed in thy way without any clear proof or Book? We have heard that the provinces of Persia have been adorned with the adornment of justice. When We observed closely, however, We found them to be the dawning-places of tyranny and the daysprings of injustice. We behold justice in the clutches of tyranny. We beseech God to set it free through the power of His might and His sovereignty. He, verily, overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth. To none is given the right to protest against any one concerning that which hath befallen the Cause of God. It behooveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained. O ye loved ones of God! Drink your fill from the well-spring of wisdom, and soar ye in the atmosphere of wisdom, and speak forth with wisdom and eloquence. Thus biddeth you your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Translation Notes

هل
hl h-l “people” Distinctive

literal: people

This form usually rendered as “"hath”, “know”, “think” (3 occurrences)

“hath 33% know 33% think 33%
عوت

literal: howl

1 occurrence in corpus

شرذمة
shrdhmh sh-r-dh “pack”

literal: small group, band

1 occurrence in corpus

سمعنا
smʿná s-m-ʿ “that”

literal: hear; hearing; heard

SE rendered دون (dún)بيّنة (bíbnh)کتاب (ktáb)سمعنا (smʿná)ممالک (mmálk)الايران (al-áyrán)تزيّنت (tzíznt) as “without, clear proof, Book, that, provinces, Persia, have been adorned”

have 50% heard 50%
لدنه
ldnh l-d-n

literal: with; presence; divine

SE rendered يخلّصه (ykhllṣh)بقوّة (bqúqh)عنده (ʿndh)سلطان (slṭán)لدنه (ldnh)المهيمن (al-mhímn) as “set it free, through the power, His, sovereignty, overshadoweth”

who 30% unto 20% part 10% decreed 10% one 10% inherently 10% consequences 10%
نفس
nfs n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

SE rendered السّموات (as-smúát)ليس (lís)لاحد (láḥd)يعترض (yʿtrḍ)نفس (nfs)فيما (fímá)ورد (wrd)امر (imr)اللّه (al-lh)ينبغی (ynbghí) as “heavens, To none is given, one, protest, concerning that which, hath befallen, Cause, God, It behooveth”

own 23% self 20% soul 18% himself 15% evil 6% souls 5% life 4% man 3% corrupt 3% passions 2%

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

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