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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §242

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 242 of 268.

Source (Persian)

مجدّد ميگويم و التماس ميکنم ببصر حديد در انچه نازل شده ملاحظه نما نفحات بيان اين ظهور غير بيانات قبل است * اين مظلوم لازال مبتلی بوده و مقرّ امنيکه در کتب حضرت اعلی و يا غير نظر نمايد نداشته * بعد از ورود در عراق بامر حضرت پادشاه ايران ايّده اللّه دو ماه او ازيد فاصله ميرزا يحيی وارد شد * ذکر نموديم ما را حسب الامر باينجا فرستاده‌اند تو خوبست در ايران باشی و ميرزا موسای اخوی را ميفرستيم بطرف ديگر چه که اسم شما در ديوان نيامده ميتوانيد بخدمتی قيام نمائيد * بعد اين مظلوم دو سنه منقطعا عن العالم هجرت کرد از بغداد * بعد از رجوع مشاهده شد توقّف کرده و سفرش در عهده تاخير مانده اين مظلوم بسيار محزون شد * حقّ شاهد و گواه که در جميع احيان بنشر امر مشغول بوده‌ايم سلاسل و اغلال منع ننمود کند و حبس از اظهار باز نداشت * و در ان ارض بر منع از فساد و اعمال غير مرضيّه غير طيّبه قيام نموديم و ليلا و نهارا بجميع اطراف الواح ارسال شد و مقصودی جز تهذيب نفوس و اعلای کلمه مبارکه نبوده

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Again I repeat, and plead with thee to carefully scrutinize that which hath been revealed. The breezes of utterance in this Revelation are not to be compared with those of former ages. This Wronged One hath been perpetually afflicted, and found no place of safety in which He could peruse either the writings of the Most Exalted One (the Báb) or those of any one else. About two months after Our arrival in ‘Iráq, following the command of His Majesty the Sháh of Persia - may God assist him - Mírzá Yaḥyá joined Us. We said unto him: "In accordance with the Royal command We have been sent unto this place. It is advisable for thee to remain in Persia. We will send Our brother, Mírzá Musa, to some other place. As your names have not been mentioned in the Royal decree, you can arise and render some service." Subsequently, this Wronged One departed from Baghdád, and for two years withdrew from the world. Upon Our return, We found that he had not left, and had postponed his departure. This Wronged One was greatly saddened. God testifieth and beareth Us witness that We have, at all times, been busied with the propagation of this Cause. Neither chains nor bonds, stocks nor imprisonment, have succeeded in withholding Us from revealing Our Self. In that land We forbad all mischief, and all unseemly and unholy deeds. Day and night We sent forth Our Tablets in every direction. We had no other purpose except to edify the souls of men, and to exalt the blessed Word.

Translation Notes

التماس
at-tmás l-t-m → “plead”

literal: plea, entreaty

1 occurrence in corpus

ملاحظه
mláḥẓh l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: observation; observe; observation, consideration

SE rendered ببصر (bbṣr), حديد (ḥdíd), انچه (inchh), نازل (názl), ملاحظه (mláḥẓh), نما (nmá), نفحات (nfḥát), بيان (bíán), ظهور (ẓhúr), غير (ghír) as “carefully scrutinize, thee to, that which, been revealed, hath, The breezes, utterance, Revelation, not to be compared”

اللّه
al-lh ʾ-l-h

literal: god; divine; o god

SE rendered بامر (bámr), حضرت (ḥḍrt), پادشاه (pádsháh), ايران (iyrán), ايّده (iyydh), اللّه (al-lh), دو (dú) as “the command, His Majesty, Sháh, Persia, may God assist, two months”

god 93% god’s 2% lord 1% divine 1% almighty 1% “god 1% god.” 0% unto 0% towards 0% \‘god 0%
ماه
máh máh

literal: moon; month

SE rendered پادشاه (pádsháh), ايران (iyrán), ايّده (iyydh), اللّه (al-lh), دو (dú), ماه (máh), ازيد (izíd), فاصله (fáṣlh), ميرزا (mírzá), يحيی (yḥíy), وارد (wárd) as “Sháh, Persia, may God assist, two months, Mírzá Yaḥyá, joined”

moon 60% months 40%
ازيد
izíd z-y-d

literal: more

SE rendered ايران (iyrán), ايّده (iyydh), اللّه (al-lh), دو (dú), ماه (máh), ازيد (izíd), فاصله (fáṣlh), ميرزا (mírzá), يحيی (yḥíy), وارد (wárd) as “Persia, may God assist, two months, Mírzá Yaḥyá, joined”

many 20% about 20% over 20% more 20% greater 20%
فاصله
fáṣlh f-ṣ-l

literal: detail; separate; separated

SE rendered ايّده (iyydh), اللّه (al-lh), دو (dú), ماه (máh), ازيد (izíd), فاصله (fáṣlh), ميرزا (mírzá), يحيی (yḥíy), وارد (wárd), ذکر (dhkr), نموديم (nmúdím) as “may God assist, two months, Mírzá Yaḥyá, joined, said”

before 33% interval 33% away 33%
باينجا
báynjá j-ʾ → “unto”

literal: here, this place; place

2 occurrences in corpus

بخدمتی
bkhdmtí kh-d-m

literal: service; servant; serve

SE rendered ديوان (díwán), نيامده (níámdh), ميتوانيد (mítúáníd), بخدمتی (bkhdmtí), قيام (qíám), نمائيد (nmáʾíd), مظلوم (mẓlúm) as “the Royal decree, not been mentioned, you can, arise and render some service, Wronged One”

service 25% render 25% serve 25% duty 25%
سنه
snh s-n-h

literal: year; years

SE rendered قيام (qíám), نمائيد (nmáʾíd), مظلوم (mẓlúm), دو (dú), سنه (snh), منقطعا (mnqṭʿá), العالم (al-ʿálm), هجرت (hjrt), کرد (krd), از (iz) as “arise and render some service, Wronged One, two years, withdrew, world, departed, from”

years 61% year 16% each 6% yearly 3% centuries 3% aeons 3% “the 3% present 3%
هجرت
hjrt h-j-r

literal: separation; abandonment; migration

SE rendered مظلوم (mẓlúm), دو (dú), سنه (snh), منقطعا (mnqṭʿá), العالم (al-ʿálm), هجرت (hjrt), کرد (krd), از (iz), بغداد (bghdád), از (iz) as “Wronged One, two years, withdrew, world, departed, all, Baghdád”

departed 40% had 20% retirement 20% fled 20%
رجوع
rjúʿ r-j-ʿ

literal: return; returning; to return

SE rendered کرد (krd), از (iz), بغداد (bghdád), از (iz), رجوع (rjúʿ), مشاهده (msháhdh), توقّف (túqqf), کرده (krdh), سفرش (sfrsh) as “departed, all, Baghdád, found, not left, his departure”

عهده
ʿhdh ʿ-h-d

literal: covenant; age

SE rendered مشاهده (msháhdh), توقّف (túqqf), کرده (krdh), سفرش (sfrsh), عهده (ʿhdh), تاخير (tákhír), مانده (mándh), مظلوم (mẓlúm), بسيار (bsíár) as “found, not left, his departure, postponed, This Wronged One, greatly”

اغلال
ighlál gh-l-l

literal: fetter

SE rendered امر (imr), مشغول (mshghúl), بوده‌ايم (búdh‌áym), سلاسل (slásl), اغلال (ighlál), منع (mnʿ), ننمود (nnmúd), کند (knd), حبس (ḥbs), از (iz), اظهار (iẓhár) as “this Cause, been busied, chains nor bonds, in withholding, have succeeded, imprisonment, from, revealing Our Self”

fetters 50% bonds 25% fettered 25%
باز
báz b-ʾ-z

literal: open

SE rendered منع (mnʿ), ننمود (nnmúd), کند (knd), حبس (ḥbs), از (iz), اظهار (iẓhár), باز (báz), نداشت (ndásht), ارض (irḍ), بر (br), منع (mnʿ), از (iz) as “forbad, have succeeded, imprisonment, all, revealing Our Self, have, land, We”

impede 17% likewise 17% outstretched 17% opened 17% yet 17% open 17%
مرضيّه
mrḍíḍh r-ḍ-y

literal: pleasure; pleasure/satisfaction

SE rendered بر (br), منع (mnʿ), از (iz), فساد (fsád), اعمال (iʿmál), غير (ghír), مرضيّه (mrḍíḍh), غير (ghír), طيّبه (ṭíṭbh), قيام (qíám), نموديم (nmúdím), ليلا (lílá) as “We, forbad, all, mischief, unseemly and unholy deeds, Day and night”

طيّبه
ṭíṭbh ṭ-y-b

literal: good; blessed; good, pure

SE rendered فساد (fsád), اعمال (iʿmál), غير (ghír), مرضيّه (mrḍíḍh), غير (ghír), طيّبه (ṭíṭbh), قيام (qíám), نموديم (nmúdím), ليلا (lílá) as “mischief, unseemly and unholy deeds, Day and night”

goodly 30% pure 13% human 9% rich 9% blessed 9% good 9% holy 9% righteous 4% sweetness 4% fragrant 4%
نهارا
nhárá n-h-r

literal: day

SE rendered ليلا (lílá), نهارا (nhárá), بجميع (bjmíʿ), اطراف (iṭráf), الواح (al-wáḥ), ارسال (irsál) as “Day and night, in every direction, Tablets, sent forth”

day 80% daytime 20%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

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The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

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The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

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Prayers and Meditations

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Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

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Tablet of Aḥmad

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶