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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §121

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 121 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ اين حزب از خليج اسماء گذشته‌اند و بر شاطی بحر انقطاع خرگاه برافراشته‌اند * ايشان صد هزار جان رايگان نثار نمايند و بما اراده الاعداء تکلّم ننمايند بارادة اللّه متمسّکند و از ما عند القوم فارغ و ازاد سر دادند و کلمه نالائقه نگفتند * تفکّر نمائيد گويا از بحر انقطاع نوشيده‌اند زندگی دنيا ايشانرا از شهادت در سبيل الهی منع ننمود *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! This people have passed beyond the narrow straits of names, and pitched their tents upon the shores of the sea of renunciation. They would willingly lay down a myriad lives, rather than breathe the word desired by their enemies. They have clung to that which pleaseth God, and are wholly detached and freed from the things which pertain unto men. They have preferred to have their heads cut off rather than utter one unseemly word. Ponder this in thine heart. Methinks they have quaffed their fill of the ocean of renunciation. The life of the present world hath failed to withhold them from suffering martyrdom in the path of God.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

شيخ
sh-y-kh → “Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

اين
ʾ-y-n → “This”

literal: this; these

حزب
ḥ-z-b → “people”

literal: party; people; community

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

خليج
kh-l-j → “straits”

literal: strait; gulf; narrow passage

اسماء
s-m-w → “names”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint

گذشته‌اند
g-dh-r

literal: to leave; to pass; to abandon

بر
b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

شاطی
sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

بحر
b-ḥ-r → “sea” Distinctive

literal: sea; ocean

انقطاع
q-ṭ-ʿ → “renunciation”

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

خرگاه
kh-r-g → “tents”

literal: way; path; road

برافراشته‌اند
f-r-sh → “bed” Distinctive

literal: to raise; to spread; to erect

ايشان
ʾ-y-sh → “Prophets”

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

صد
ṣ-d

literal: hundred

هزار
h-z-r → “myriad”

literal: thousand

جان
j-ʾ-n → “lives”

literal: soul; life; spirit; self

رايگان
r-y-g → “willingly”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

نثار
n-th-r → “threw down”

literal: scattering; sacrifice; offering; to scatter or lay down

بما
m-ʾ

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

اراده
r-w-d → “desired”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

الاعداء
ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

تکلّم
k-l-m → “words” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions

ننمايند
n-m-ود → “They”

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

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

متمسّکند
m-s-k → “have clung”

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

عند
ʿ-n-d → “pertain unto” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

القوم
q-w-m → “men” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

فارغ
f-r-gh → “detached”

literal: free; detached; empty; unoccupied

ازاد
ʾ-z-d → “freed”

literal: free; liberated; at liberty; freedom

سر
s-r-r → “heads” Distinctive

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

دادند
d-ʾ-d → “of equity” Distinctive

literal: to give; to grant; to issue

نالائقه
l-y-q → “unseemly”

literal: worthy; befit; befits

نگفتند
g-f-t

literal: say; to say; said

تفکّر
f-k-r → “Ponder”

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

گويا
g-w-y → “Methinks”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

نوشيده‌اند
n-w-sh → “have quaffed”

literal: drink; to drink; write

زندگی
z-n-d → “life”

literal: prison; jail

دنيا
d-n-w → “world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

شهادت
sh-h-d → “martyrdom”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

سبيل
s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

منع
m-n-ʿ → “withhold”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

ننمود
n-m-ʾ → “hath failed” Distinctive

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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