Skip to main content

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §247

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 247 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين ميفرمايد [ باسماء از مالک ان محتجب ممانيد حتّی اسم النّبيّ فانّ ذلک الاسم يخلق بقوله ] و همچنين در باب سابع از واحد ثانی ميفرمايد [ ای اهل بيان نکرده انچه اهل فرقان کردند که ثمرات ليل خود را باطل کنيد ] الی ان قال عزّ ذکره ميفرمايد []اگر بظهور او فائز شدی و اطاعت نمودی ثمره بيانرا ظاهر کردی و الّا لائق ذکر نيستی نزد خداوند * ترحّم بر خود کرده اگر نصرت نميکنی مظهر ربوبيّت را محزون نکرده ] الی قوله جلّ شانه [ اگر بلقاء اللّه فائز نميگردی آية اللّه را هم محزون نکرده باشی * از نفع مديّنين ببيان ميگذرد هرگاه شما از ضرر باو بگذريد اگر چه ميدانم نخواهيد کرد ] انتهی *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And likewise, He saith: "Let not names shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is their Lord, even the name of Prophet, for such a name is but a creation of His utterance." And likewise, He, in the seventh chapter of the second Vahid, saith: "O people of the Bayán! Act not as the people of the Qur’án have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night will come to naught." And further, He saith - glorified be His mention: "If thou attainest unto His Revelation, and obeyest Him, thou wilt have revealed the fruit of the Bayán; if not, thou art unworthy of mention before God. Take pity upon thyself. If thou aidest not Him Who is the Manifestation of the Lordship of God, be not, then, a cause of sadness unto Him." And further He saith - magnified be His station: "If thou attainest not unto the Presence of God, grieve not, then, the Sign of God. Ye will renounce that which can profit them that acknowledge the Bayán, if ye renounce that which can harm Him. I know, however, that ye will refuse to do so."

Translation Notes

از

literal: from

SE rendered همچنين (hmchnín)ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd)باسماء (básmáʾ)از (iz)مالک (málk)محتجب (mḥtjb)ممانيد (mmáníd)اسم (ism) as “likewise, saith, names, from, Lord, shut you out, name”

23 occurrences in corpus

شدی
shdí sh-d

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd)بظهور (bẓhúr)فائز (fáʾz)شدی (shdí)اطاعت (iṭáʿt)نمودی (nmúdí)ثمره (thmrh)بيانرا (bíánrá)ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “saith, Revelation, attainest, obeyest, fruit, Bayán, revealed”

have 36% hath 14% may 14% made 12% become 5% mayest 5% can 5% will 3% mentioned 3% had 3%
نمودی
nmúdí n-m-ود

literal: do; to do; do/make

SE rendered بظهور (bẓhúr)فائز (fáʾz)شدی (shdí)اطاعت (iṭáʿt)نمودی (nmúdí)ثمره (thmrh)بيانرا (bíánrá)ظاهر (ẓáhr)کردی (krdí) as “Revelation, attainest, obeyest, fruit, Bayán, revealed”

guided 50% having 50%
نيستی
nístí n-y-s-t

literal: is not; is-not; be

SE rendered ظاهر (ẓáhr)کردی (krdí)لائق (láʾq)ذکر (dhkr)نيستی (nístí)نزد (nzd)خداوند (khdáwnd)ترحّم (trḥḥm)بر (br) as “revealed, unworthy, mention, before, God, pity, upon”

10 occurrences in corpus

جلّ
jll j-l-l

literal: exalted; glory

SE rendered ربوبيّت (rbúbíbt)محزون (mḥzún)نکرده (nkrdh)قوله (qúlh)جلّ (jll)شانه (shánh)بلقاء (blqáʾ)اللّه (al-lh)فائز (fáʾz) as “Lordship, sadness, be not, station, Presence, God, attainest”

باشی
báshí b-w-d

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered آية (áyh)اللّه (al-lh)محزون (mḥzún)نکرده (nkrdh)باشی (báshí)از (iz)نفع (nfʿ)مديّنين (mdídnín)ببيان (bbíán)ميگذرد (mígdhrd) as “Sign, God, grieve, not, then, of, profit, Bayán, renounce”

hath 35% have 30% had 11% could 4% found 3% should 3% can 3% did 3% thus 3% must 3%
مديّنين
mdídnín d-y-n

literal: religion; religions; religion, faith

SE rendered محزون (mḥzún)نکرده (nkrdh)باشی (báshí)از (iz)نفع (nfʿ)مديّنين (mdídnín)ببيان (bbíán)ميگذرد (mígdhrd)هرگاه (hrgáh)از (iz)ضرر (ḍrr) as “grieve, not, then, of, profit, Bayán, renounce, harm”

faith 32% religion 14% religions 14% revelation 11% piety 7% true 7% time 4% city 4% looked 4% dinars?” 4%
چه
chh ch-h

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

SE rendered از (iz)ضرر (ḍrr)باو (báw)بگذريد (bgdhríd)چه (chh)ميدانم (mídánm)نخواهيد (nkhúáhíd)کرد (krd) as “of, harm, Him, renounce, know, refuse, to do”

what 50% whatsoever 50%
ميدانم
mídánm d-n “have” Distinctive

literal: know; know/regard

This form usually rendered as “know” (1 occurrences)

have 33% know 33% regard 33%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet cover

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings cover

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Kitáb-i-'Ahd cover

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán cover

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations cover

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad cover

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Tablet of Carmel cover

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner cover

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words cover

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Will and Testament cover

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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 ¶