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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §51

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 51 of 268.

Source (Persian)

کلمه اولی که در ورق اوّل فردوس از قلم ابهی مذکور و مسطور اين است * براستی ميگويم حفظ مبين و حصن متين از برای عموم اهل عالم خشية اللّه بوده اوست سبب اکبر از برای حفظ بشر و علّت کبری از برای صيانت وری * بلی در وجود ايتی موجود و ان انسانرا از انچه شايسته و لايق نيست منع مينمايد و حراست ميفرمايد و نام انرا حيا گذارده‌اند و لکن اين فقره محدود است بمعدودی کلّ دارای اين مقام نبوده و نيستند * بايد سلاطين ايّام و علمای انام به دين تمسّک نمايند چه که اوست علّت ظهور خشية اللّه فيما سواه *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The first word which the Abhá Pen hath revealed and inscribed on the first leaf of Paradise is this: "Verily I say: The fear of God hath ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme instrument for its preservation. Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame. This, however, is confined to but a few; all have not possessed, and do not possess, it. It is incumbent upon the kings and the spiritual leaders of the world to lay fast hold on religion, inasmuch as through it the fear of God is instilled in all else but Him."

Translation Notes

از
iz ʾ-z “of”

literal: from

SE rendered کلمه (klmh)اولی (iwlí)ورق (wrq)اوّل (iwwl)فردوس (frdús)از (iz)قلم (qlm)ابهی (ibhí)مذکور (mdhkúr)مسطور (msṭúr) as “word, first, first leaf, Paradise, of, Pen, Abhá, revealed, inscribed”

23 occurrences in corpus

برای
bráy b-r-y “for”

literal: for

SE rendered ميگويم (mígúym)حفظ (ḥfẓ)مبين (mbín)حصن (ḥṣn)متين (mtín)از (iz)برای (bráy)عموم (ʿmúm)اهل (ihl)عالم (ʿálm)خشية (khshíh)اللّه (al-lh) as “say, defence, sure, stronghold, safe, of, for, all, peoples, world, fear of, God”

wherefore 50% light 50%
اکبر
ikbr k-b-r

literal: greatest; greater

SE rendered عالم (ʿálm)خشية (khshíh)اللّه (al-lh)اوست (iwst)سبب (sbb)اکبر (ikbr)از (iz)برای (bráy)حفظ (ḥfẓ)بشر (bshr)علّت (ʿllt)کبری (kbrí) as “world, fear of, God, It, chief cause, of, for, protection, mankind, supreme”

most 25% greater 20% transcendent 10% surest 10% great 10% mighty 5% lesser 5% excel 5% greet 5% “greater 5%
علّت
ʿllt ʿ-l-l

literal: cause; reason

SE rendered سبب (sbb)اکبر (ikbr)از (iz)برای (bráy)حفظ (ḥfẓ)بشر (bshr)علّت (ʿllt)کبری (kbrí)از (iz)برای (bráy)صيانت (ṣíánt)وری (wrí)بلی (blí) as “chief cause, of, for, protection, mankind, supreme, preservation, Indeed”

cause 20% caused 13% motive 13% source 13% causeth 7% pretext 7% reason 7% essential 7% cannot 7% fix 7%
وری
wrí w-r-y

literal: mankind; beyond; behind

SE rendered بشر (bshr)علّت (ʿllt)کبری (kbrí)از (iz)برای (bráy)صيانت (ṣíánt)وری (wrí)بلی (blí)وجود (wjúd)ايتی (iytí)موجود (mújúd) as “mankind, supreme, of, preservation, Indeed, existeth, a faculty”

all 35% mankind 17% men 13% beyond 9% world 9% lives 4% whole 4% behind 4% beneath 4%
شايسته
sháysth sh-y-n ““shin” Distinctive

literal: letter shin; dignity; nest

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

“shin 20% behooveth 20% nest 20% unseemly 20% befit 20%
نيست
níst b-w-d “is”

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered انسانرا (insánrá)از (iz)انچه (inchh)شايسته (sháysth)لايق (láyq)نيست (níst)منع (mnʿ)مينمايد (mínmáyd)حراست (ḥrást)ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd) as “man, from, unworthy, unseemly, deterreth, guardeth”

do 17% now 17% god 17% attributed 17% denoteth 17% hath 17%
نام
nám n-ʾ-m

literal: name; named

SE rendered منع (mnʿ)مينمايد (mínmáyd)حراست (ḥrást)ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd)نام (nám)انرا (inrá)حيا (ḥíá)گذارده‌اند (gdhárdh‌ánd)لکن (lkn) as “deterreth, guardeth, shame, however”

name 60% honor?… 20% named 20%
انرا
inrá n-w-r

literal: light; lights; luminous

SE rendered منع (mnʿ)مينمايد (mínmáyd)حراست (ḥrást)ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd)نام (nám)انرا (inrá)حيا (ḥíá)گذارده‌اند (gdhárdh‌ánd)لکن (lkn) as “deterreth, guardeth, shame, however”

گذارده‌اند
gdhárdh‌ánd g-dh-r

literal: pass; place; passed

SE rendered حراست (ḥrást)ميفرمايد (mífrmáyd)نام (nám)انرا (inrá)حيا (ḥíá)گذارده‌اند (gdhárdh‌ánd)لکن (lkn)فقره (fqrh)محدود (mḥdúd) as “guardeth, shame, however, confined”

renounced 23% renounce 17% have 13% abandon 10% pass 10% leave 7% relinquish 7% forsake 7% past 3% before 3%
فقره
fqrh f-q-r

literal: poor; poverty; matter

SE rendered حيا (ḥíá)گذارده‌اند (gdhárdh‌ánd)لکن (lkn)فقره (fqrh)محدود (mḥdúd)بمعدودی (bmʿdúdí)دارای (dáráy) as “shame, however, confined, few, possessed”

مقام
mqám q-w-m

literal: station; place

SE rendered بمعدودی (bmʿdúdí)دارای (dáráy)مقام (mqám)نبوده (nbúdh)نيستند (nístnd)بايد (báyd)سلاطين (sláṭín) as “few, possessed, not, incumbent, kings”

station 55% connection 12% place 6% most 5% seat 5% such 5% spot 3% another 3% court 2% instance 2%
ايّام
iyyám y-w-m

literal: day; days; today

SE rendered نبوده (nbúdh)نيستند (nístnd)بايد (báyd)سلاطين (sláṭín)ايّام (iyyám)علمای (ʿlmáy)انام (inám)دين (dín)تمسّک (tmssk) as “not, incumbent, kings, spiritual leaders, religion, lay fast hold”

days 65% day 18% time 4% daytime 2% night 2% past 2% many 2% day-time 1% night-season 1% long 1%
انام
inám ʾ-n-m

literal: mankind

SE rendered بايد (báyd)سلاطين (sláṭín)ايّام (iyyám)علمای (ʿlmáy)انام (inám)دين (dín)تمسّک (tmssk)نمايند (nmáynd)چه (chh) as “incumbent, kings, spiritual leaders, religion, lay fast hold, hath”

all 33% men 33% mankind 33%
چه
chh ch-h

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

SE rendered علمای (ʿlmáy)انام (inám)دين (dín)تمسّک (tmssk)نمايند (nmáynd)چه (chh)اوست (iwst)علّت (ʿllt)ظهور (ẓhúr)خشية (khshíh)اللّه (al-lh) as “spiritual leaders, religion, lay fast hold, hath, it, instilled, fear of, God”

what 50% whatsoever 50%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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