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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §119

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 119 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و قبل از ايشان جناب کاظم و من معه و در آخر حضرت اشرف کلّ شربت شهادت را بکمال شوق و اشتياق نوشيدند و برفيق اعلی شتافتند * و همچنين در عهد سردار عزيز خان جناب عارف باللّه ميرزا مصطفی و من معه را اخذ نمودند و برفيق اعلی و افق ابهی فرستادند * باری در هر بلدی اثار ظلم ظاهر و مشهود ظلميکه شبه و مثل نداشته مع ذلک نفسی بر دفاع قيام ننمود * در حضرت بديع که حامل لوح حضرت سلطان بوده تفکّر نما که چگونه جان داد * ان فارس مضمار انقطاع اکليل ثمين حيات را نثار دوست يکتا نمود *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Before them one named Káẓim and they who were with him, and after them, his honor Ashraf, all quaffed the draught of martyrdom with the utmost fervor and longing, and hastened unto the Supreme Companion. In like manner, at the time of Sardár ‘Azíz Khán, that godly man, Mírzá Mustafa, and his fellow-martyrs, were arrested, and despatched unto the Supreme Friend in the All-Glorious Horizon. Briefly, in every city the evidences of a tyranny, beyond like or equal, were unmistakably clear and manifest, and yet none arose in self-defence! Call thou to mind his honor Badi, who was the bearer of the Tablet to His Majesty the Sháh, and reflect how he laid down his life. That knight, who spurred on his charger in the arena of renunciation, threw down the precious crown of life for the sake of Him Who is the Incomparable Friend.

Translation Notes

نوشيدند
núshídnd n-w-sh

literal: drank

SE rendered شهادت (shhádt), بکمال (bkmál), شوق (shúq), اشتياق (ishtíáq), نوشيدند (núshídnd), برفيق (brfíq), اعلی (iʿlí), شتافتند (shtáftnd) as “of martyrdom, with the utmost, fervor, longing, unto the Supreme, hastened”

quaffed 40% drunk 40% drank 20%
شتافتند
shtáftnd sh-t-f → “winged” Distinctive

literal: hasten; hasten/hurry; hasten/rush

This form usually rendered as “have”, “hastened” (2 occurrences)

have 50% hastened 50%
عارف
ʿárf ʿ-r-f

literal: knowledge; know; knower

SE rendered عهد (ʿhd), سردار (srdár), عزيز (ʿzíz), خان (khán), جناب (jnáb), عارف (ʿárf), باللّه (bálllh), ميرزا (mírzá), مصطفی (mṣṭfí), معه (mʿh) as “the time of, Sardár, ‘Azíz, Khán, that godly man, Mírzá, Mustafa, , were”

باللّه
bálllh ʾ-l-h

literal: god; o god

SE rendered عهد (ʿhd), سردار (srdár), عزيز (ʿzíz), خان (khán), جناب (jnáb), عارف (ʿárf), باللّه (bálllh), ميرزا (mírzá), مصطفی (mṣṭfí), معه (mʿh) as “the time of, Sardár, ‘Azíz, Khán, that godly man, Mírzá, Mustafa, , were”

god 74% adjure 4% truth 4% lord 4% except 2% after 2% god’s 2% god!” 2% forbiddeth 2% hand 2%
ابهی
ibhí b-h-w

literal: glory; most glorious; most-glorious

SE rendered اخذ (ikhdh), نمودند (nmúdnd), برفيق (brfíq), اعلی (iʿlí), افق (ifq), ابهی (ibhí), فرستادند (frstádnd), باری (bárí), هر (hr), بلدی (bldí) as “arrested, unto the Supreme, Friend, the All-Glorious Horizon, despatched, Briefly, every, city”

شبه
shbh sh-b-h

literal: resemblance; likeness

SE rendered اثار (ithár), ظلم (ẓlm), ظاهر (ẓáhr), مشهود (mshhúd), ظلميکه (ẓlmíkh), شبه (shbh), مثل (mthl), نداشته (ndáshth), نفسی (nfsí), بر (br) as “the evidences, of a tyranny, clear and manifest, beyond like or equal, none, in”

like 24% peer 18% such 12% comparison 12% compare 6% equal 6% parallel 6% resemble 6% can 6% peers 6%
مثل
mthl m-th-l

literal: like; likeness; example

SE rendered ظلم (ẓlm), ظاهر (ẓáhr), مشهود (mshhúd), ظلميکه (ẓlmíkh), شبه (shbh), مثل (mthl), نداشته (ndáshth), نفسی (nfsí), بر (br), دفاع (dfáʿ) as “of a tyranny, clear and manifest, beyond like or equal, none, in, self-defence”

instance 18% like 14% even 12% consider 12% such 10% same 10% equal 8% what 8% one 6% peerless 2%
نداشته
ndáshth dáshtn

literal: have; to have; had

SE rendered ظاهر (ẓáhr), مشهود (mshhúd), ظلميکه (ẓlmíkh), شبه (shbh), مثل (mthl), نداشته (ndáshth), نفسی (nfsí), بر (br), دفاع (dfáʿ), قيام (qíám) as “clear and manifest, beyond like or equal, none, in, self-defence, arose”

hath 30% have 20% beyond 15% without 5% ignorance 5% had 5% neither 5% washed 5% disinclined 5% none 5%
نما
nmá n-m-ʾ

literal: do

SE rendered حامل (ḥáml), لوح (lúḥ), حضرت (ḥḍrt), سلطان (slṭán), تفکّر (tfkkr), نما (nmá), چگونه (chgúnh), جان (ján), داد (dád) as “the bearer, the Tablet, His Majesty, the Sháh, reflect, how, his life, laid down”

strive 21% thou 14% endeavour 14% do 7% set 7% gird 7% cut 7% shouldst 7% consider 7% nurtured 7%
فارس
fárs f-r-s → “send”

literal: persian; contemplate; discerning

SE rendered چگونه (chgúnh), جان (ján), داد (dád), فارس (fárs), مضمار (mḍmár), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), اکليل (iklíl), ثمين (thmín), حيات (ḥíát) as “how, his life, laid down, the arena, of renunciation, precious crown, of life”

knight 11% observed 11% discerning 11% who 11% ye 11% into 11% heroes 11% ponder 11% west 11%
مضمار
mḍmár ḍ-m-r → “arena”

literal: arena/racecourse

3 occurrences in corpus

ثمين
thmín th-m-n

literal: eighty; eight; eighth

SE rendered فارس (fárs), مضمار (mḍmár), انقطاع (inqṭáʿ), اکليل (iklíl), ثمين (thmín), حيات (ḥíát), نثار (nthár), دوست (dúst) as “the arena, of renunciation, precious crown, of life, threw down, the Incomparable Friend”

precious 50% cost 50%
يکتا
yktá yktá

literal: one

SE rendered اکليل (iklíl), ثمين (thmín), حيات (ḥíát), نثار (nthár), دوست (dúst), يکتا (yktá) as “precious crown, of life, threw down, the Incomparable Friend”

one 67% incomparable 33%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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