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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §29

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 29 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ انّا سمعنا انّ جنابک اعرضت عنّا و اعترضت علينا حيث امرت النّاس بسبّي و افتيت علی سفک دماء العباد * للّه درّ من قال \[ طَوْعًا لِقَاضٍ أَتَی فِی حُکْمِهِ عَجَبًا             أَفْتَی بِسَفْکِ دَمِی فِی الحِلِّ وَ الحَرَمِ ] براستی ميگويم انچه در سبيل الهی وارد شود محبوب جان است و مقصود روان * سمّ مهلک در سبيلش شهديست فائق و عذابش عذبيست لائق * در لوح حضرت سلطان ذکر شده و نفسه الحقّ لا اجزع من البلايا فی سبيله و لا من الرّزايا فی حبّه قد جعل اللّه البلاء غادية لهذه الدّسکرة الخضراء و ذبالة لمصباحه الّذی به اشرقت الارض و السّماء *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! We have learned that thou hast turned away from Us, and protested against Us, in such wise that thou hast bidden the people to curse Me, and decreed that the blood of the servants of God be shed. God requite him who said: "Willingly will I obey the judge who hath so strangely decreed that my blood be spilt at Hill and at Haram!" Verily I say: Whatever befalleth in the path of God is the beloved of the soul and the desire of the heart. Deadly poison in His path is pure honey, and every tribulation a draught of crystal water. In the Tablet to His Majesty the Sháh it is written: "By Him Who is the Truth! I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him. Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and heaven."

Translation Notes

حيث
ḥíth ḥ-y-th “such”

literal: where

4 occurrences in corpus

أَتَی
ʾatay ʾ-t-y

literal: come; came

SE rendered قال (qál)طَوْعًا (ṭawʿan)لِقَاضٍ (liqáḍin)أَتَی (ʾatay)حُکْمِهِ (ḥukmih)عَجَبًا (ʿajaban) as “said, "Willingly, judge, strangely”

come 62% appeared 12% coming 8% came 8% did 4% now 4% descend 4%
حُکْمِهِ
ḥukmih ḥ-k-m

literal: wisdom; judgment

SE rendered طَوْعًا (ṭawʿan)لِقَاضٍ (liqáḍin)أَتَی (ʾatay)حُکْمِهِ (ḥukmih)عَجَبًا (ʿajaban)أَفْتَی (ʾaftay) as “"Willingly, judge, strangely, decreed”

أَفْتَی
ʾaftay ʾ-f-t “daystar” Distinctive

literal: calamity; calamity, misfortune

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

daystar 25% sun 25% calamity 25% misfortune 25%
بِسَفْکِ
bisafk s-f-k “shed”

literal: shedding; shed

SE rendered عَجَبًا (ʿajaban)أَفْتَی (ʾaftay)بِسَفْکِ (bisafk)دَمِی (damí)الحِلِّ (al-ḥill)الحَرَمِ (al-ḥaram) as “strangely, decreed, blood, Hill, Haram”

shedding 50% shed 50%
روان
rúán r-w-ḥ

literal: soul

SE rendered محبوب (mḥbúb)جان (ján)مقصود (mqṣúd)روان (rúán)سمّ (smm)مهلک (mhlk)سبيلش (sbílsh)شهديست (shhdíst) as “beloved, soul, desire, poison, Deadly, path, honey”

souls 50% soul 50%
لائق
láʾq l-y-q

literal: worthy; befit; befits

SE rendered شهديست (shhdíst)فائق (fáʾq)عذابش (ʿdhábsh)عذبيست (ʿdhbíst)لائق (láʾq)لوح (lúḥ)حضرت (ḥḍrt)سلطان (slṭán)ذکر (dhkr) as “honey, pure, tribulation, draught of crystal water, Tablet, Majesty, Sháh”

worthy 40% beseemeth 20% fit 10% entirely 10% unworthy 10% best 10%
ذکر
dhkr dh-k-r

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

SE rendered عذبيست (ʿdhbíst)لائق (láʾq)لوح (lúḥ)حضرت (ḥḍrt)سلطان (slṭán)ذکر (dhkr)نفسه (nfsh)الحقّ (al-ḥqq)اجزع (ijzʿ) as “draught of crystal water, Tablet, Majesty, Sháh, I, Truth, fear”

الدّسکرة
ad-dskrh d-s-k-r “pasture”

literal: pasture

1 occurrence in corpus

ذبالة
dhbálh dh-b-l “wick”

literal: wick

1 occurrence in corpus

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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