Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §100

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 100 of 268.

Source (Persian)

( الی أن قلنا ) اسمع ندائی مرّة اخری من شطر سجنی ليخبرک بما ورد علی جمالی من مظاهر جلالی و تعرف صبری بعد قدرتی و اصطباری بعد اقتداری * و عمری لو تعرف ما نزّل من قلمی و تطّلع علی خزائن امری و لالئ اسراری فی بحور اسمائی و اواعی کلماتی لتفدی بنفسک فی سبيل اللّه شوقا الی ملکوته العزيز المنيع * اعلم جسمی تحت سيوف الاعداء و جسدی فی بلاء لا يحصی و لکنّ الرّوح فی بشارة لا يعادلها فرح العالمين *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And further We have said: "Again I say: Hearken unto My voice that calleth from My prison, that it may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen My Beauty, at the hands of them that are the manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding My might, and how immense My forbearance, notwithstanding My power. By My life! Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My Pen, and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of My names and in the goblets of My words, thou wouldst for longing after His glorious and sublime Kingdom, lay down thy life in the path of God. Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never compare."

Translation Notes

الی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

أن

ʾ-n → “that calleth”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

قلنا

q-w-l → “And further We have said”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

اسمع

s-m-ʿ → “Hearken”

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

ندائی

n-d-y → “My voice”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons

مرّة

m-r-r → ““Again I say” Distinctive

literal: to pass; to pass by; to go

اخری

ʾ-kh-r

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

من

m-n → “from”

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

شطر

sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

سجنی

s-j-n → “My prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

ليخبرک

kh-b-r → “All-Informed” Distinctive

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

بما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

ورد

w-r-d → “have befallen”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

علی

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

جمالی

j-m-l → “My Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

مظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “manifestations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

جلالی

j-l-l → “My glory”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

تعرف

ʿ-r-f → “that thou mayest perceive”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

صبری

ṣ-б-r → “My patience”

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “notwithstanding” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

قدرتی

q-d-r → “My might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

اصطباری

ṣ-b-r → “patience” Distinctive

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

عمری

ʿ-m-r → “By My life”

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

لو

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

نزّل

n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

قلمی

q-l-m → “My Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

تطّلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “discover”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

خزائن

kh-z-n → “treasures”

literal: to store, to treasure; storehouse, depository, treasury

امری

ʾ-m-r → “My Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

لالئ

l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: pearls; gems; precious things

اسراری

s-r-r → “My mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

بحور

b-ḥ-r → “seas”

literal: sea; ocean

اسمائی

s-m-w → “My names”

literal: name

اواعی

w-ʿ-y → “retentive” Distinctive

literal: retentive; vessel, goblet; attentive

کلماتی

k-l-m → “My words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

لتفدی

f-d-y → “lay down”

literal: sacrifice; ransom; sacrificed

بنفسک

n-f-s → “thy life” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

سبيل

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

شوقا

sh-w-q → “longing”

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

ملکوته

m-l-k → “Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

العزيز

ʿ-z-z → “glorious”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

المنيع

m-n-ʿ → “sublime” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

اعلم

ʿ-l-m → “Know thou”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

جسمی

j-s-m → “My body”

literal: body; physical form; substance

تحت

t-ḥ-t → “beneath”

literal: under; under, beneath; beneath

سيوف

s-y-f → “swords”

literal: sword

الاعداء

ʿ-d-w → “My foes” Distinctive

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

جسدی

j-s-d → “bodies” Distinctive

literal: body; corpse; physical form

بلاء

b-l-w → “incalculable afflictions”

literal: trial; affliction; test; calamity; plague

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يحصی

ḥ-ṣ-y

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

لکنّ

l-k-n

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

الرّوح

r-w-ḥ → “My spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

بشارة

b-sh-r → “announce” Distinctive

literal: to point to; to indicate; to gesture

يعادلها

ʿ-d-l → “justice” Distinctive

literal: justice; equity

فرح

f-r-ḥ → “joys of”

literal: to rejoice; to be glad; joy

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

Gleanings

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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 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

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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 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

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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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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

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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 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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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

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57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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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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‘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 ¶