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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §231

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 231 of 268.

Source (Persian)

حضرت يحيی بن زکريّا فرموده انچه را که مبشّر فرموده [ قائلا توبوا لانّه قد اقترب ملکوت السّموات انّی اعمّدکم بماء للتّوبة و لکنّ الّذی يأتی بعدی هو اقوی منّی الّذی لست اهلا ان احمل حذاءه ] اينست که مبشّر ميفرمايد در مقام خضوع و خشوع [ که جميع بيان ورقی است از اوراق جنّت او ] و همچنين ميفرمايد [ من اوّل عابدينم و افتخار ميکنم بنسبتی اليه ] * يا قوم مع ذلک اهل بيان عمل نمودند انچه را که ذی الجوشن و ابن انس و اصبحی از ان پناه بخدا برده و ميبرند * اين مظلوم در شب و روز بارتفاع امر الهی امام وجوه اديان مشغول و ان نفوس باسبابيکه سبب ذلّت و علّت اذيّت بوده متمسّک *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

John, son of Zacharias, said what My Forerunner hath said: "Saying, repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after Me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear." Wherefore, hath My Forerunner, as a sign of submissiveness and humility, said: "The whole of the Bayán is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise." And likewise, He saith: "I am the first to adore Him, and pride Myself on My kinship with Him." And yet, O men, the people of the Bayán have acted in a manner that Dhi'l-Jawshan, and Ibn-i-Anas and Asbahi have sought and still seek refuge with God against such deeds. This Wronged One hath, in the face of all religions, busied Himself day and night with the things that are conducive unto the exaltation of the Cause of God, whereas those men have clung unto that which is the cause of humiliation and injury.

Translation Notes

لانّه
lánnh ʾ-n-n “for”

literal: moment

SE rendered مبشّر (mbshshr)فرموده (frmúdh)قائلا (qáʾlá)توبوا (túbúá)لانّه (lánnh)اقترب (iqtrb)ملکوت (mlkút)السّموات (as-smúát)انّی (inní) as “Forerunner, said, "Saying, repent ye, for, is at hand, Kingdom, heaven, I”

moment 40% such 20% should 20% how 20%
لکنّ
lknn l-k-n “but”

literal: but; but, however; but/however

SE rendered انّی (inní)اعمّدکم (iʿmmdkm)بماء (bmáʾ)للتّوبة (llttúbh)لکنّ (lknn)يأتی (yʾatí)بعدی (bʿdí)اقوی (iqúy)منّی (mnní) as “I, baptize, water, repentance, but, cometh, after Me, mightier, than I”

however 67% yet 20% “but 7% whereas 7%
حذاءه
ḥdháʾh ḥ-dh-w “shoes”

literal: shoes

1 occurrence in corpus

بخدا
bkhdá kh-d-y “verses”

literal: God; gods

1 occurrence in corpus

علّت
ʿllt ʿ-l-l

literal: cause; reason

SE rendered نفوس (nfús)باسبابيکه (básbábíkh)سبب (sbb)ذلّت (dhllt)علّت (ʿllt)اذيّت (idhíht)متمسّک (mtmssk) as “men, that are conducive, cause, humiliation, injury, clung”

cause 20% caused 13% motive 13% source 13% causeth 7% pretext 7% reason 7% essential 7% cannot 7% fix 7%

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

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