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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §10

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 10 of 268.

Source (Persian)

صاحبان ابصار حديده و اذان واعيه و قلوب منيره و صدور منشرحه صدق را از کذب بشناسند و تميز دهند اين مناجات را که از لسان مظلوم جاری شده قرائت نمائيد و بقلب فارغ و سمع طاهر مقدّس در ان تفکّر فرمائيد شايد نفحات انقطاع را بيابيد و بر خود و عباد رحم کنيد *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive, whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish the one from the other. Recite thou this prayer that hath flowed from the tongue of this Wronged One, and ponder thereon with a heart rid of all attachment, and with ears that are pure and sanctified, be attentive to its meaning, that haply thou mayest inhale the breath of detachment and have pity upon thyself and upon others:

Translation Notes

صاحبان
ṣ-ḥ-b → “They whose”

literal: possessor; those who have; companion; followers

ابصار
b-ṣ-r → “sight”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

حديده
ḥ-d-d → “limitations” Distinctive

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

اذان
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

واعيه
w-ʿ-y → “retentive”

literal: retentive, listening, mindful; hearing; listening; aware; conscious

قلوب
q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

منيره
n-w-r → “enlightened” Distinctive

literal: light; illumination

صدور
ṣ-d-r → “breasts”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

منشرحه
sh-r-ḥ → “dilated”

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

صدق
ṣ-d-q → “truth”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از
ʾ-z → “and” Distinctive

literal: from

کذب
k-dh-b → “falsehood”

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

بشناسند
sh-n-kh-t → “recognize”

literal: to recognize, know, distinguish

تميز
m-y-z → “distinguish”

literal: to distinguish; to differentiate; to discern

دهند
d-h

literal: to give; to provide; to yield; to grant; to bestow

اين
ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مناجات
n-j-w → “prayer”

literal: saved; rescued; surviving

که
k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

لسان
l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; language

مظلوم
ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

جاری
j-r-y → “flowed” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

شده
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

قرائت
q-r-ʾ

literal: Qur’an; recitation; to read, recite; to read; to recite

نمائيد
n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

فارغ
f-r-gh → “detached”

literal: free; detached; empty; unoccupied

سمع
s-m-ʿ → “ears”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

طاهر
ṭ-h-r → “pure”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

مقدّس
q-d-s → “sanctified”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

در
d-r-r → “to” Distinctive

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ان
ʾ-n → “its meaning, that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تفکّر
f-k-r → “ponder”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

فرمائيد
f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

شايد
sh-y-d → “haply”

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

نفحات
n-f-ḥ → “breath” Distinctive

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

انقطاع
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

بيابيد
y-ʾ-f-t → “inhale”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

بر
b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

خود
kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

عباد
ʿ-b-d → “others” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

رحم
r-ḥ-m → “pity”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

کنيد
k-r-d → “hath” Distinctive

literal: do; to do; do, make

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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