Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §125

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 125 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ از قبل حضرت ذبيح يکنفس بوده و حال اين مظلوم ظاهر نمود از برای شما انچه را که علّت حيرت منصفين است * انصف باللّه و قم علی خدمة ربّک انّه يجزيک جزاء لا تعادله کنوز الارض و لا خزائن الملوک و السّلاطين * توکّل فی کلّ الامور علی اللّه و فوّضها اليه انّه يعطيک اجرا کان فی الکتاب عظيما * و در اين دو روزه عمر باعمالی مشغول شو که عرف رضا از ان متضوّع گردد و بطراز قبول مزيّن شود * حضرت بلال حبشی چون عملش مقبول افتاد سين او از شين عالم سبقت گرفت * امروز بايد جميع احزاب بنور اتّحاد و اتّفاق منوّر گردند * باری کبر و غرور بعضی از احزاب عالم دانائی را خراب کرده و بيت عدل و داد را ويران نموده *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! In former times he that was chosen to be slain was but one person, whereas now this Wronged One hath produced for thee that which causeth every fair-minded man to marvel. Judge fairly, I adjure thee, and arise to serve thy Lord. He, verily, shall reward thee with a reward which neither the treasures of the earth nor all the possessions of kings and rulers can equal. In all thine affairs put thy reliance in God, and commit them unto Him. He will render thee a reward which the Book hath ordained as great. Occupy thyself, during these fleeting days of thy life, with such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Divine good-pleasure, and will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance. The acts of his honor, Balal, the Ethiopian, were so acceptable in the sight of God that the "sin" of his stuttering tongue excelled the "shin" pronounced by all the world. This is the day whereon all peoples should shed the light of unity and concord. In brief, the pride and vanity of certain of the peoples of the world have made havoc of true understanding, and laid waste the home of justice and of equity.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

شيخ

sh-y-kh → “Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

از

ʾ-z → “In” Distinctive

literal: from

قبل

q-b-l → “In former times” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Him”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

ذبيح

dh-b-ḥ → “offer up”

literal: to slaughter, sacrifice; slaughter, sacrifice

يکنفس

n-f-s → “one person”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بوده

b-w-d

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

حال

ḥ-w-l → “now”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مظلوم

ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

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

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “produced” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

نمود

n-m-ʾ → “hath”

literal: to become; to be

برای

b-r-y → “for thee”

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

شما

sh-m-ʾ → “thee”

literal: you (plural); your

انچه

ʾ-n → “that which”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

علّت

ʿ-l-l → “causeth”

literal: for us; to us

حيرت

ḥ-y-r → “perplexed” Distinctive

literal: bewildered; perplexed; confused; astounded; amazed; bewilderment; perplexity; wonder; amazement

منصفين

n-ṣ-f → “fair-minded man”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

باللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: supplication; earnest entreaty; imploring

قم

q-w-m → “arise”

literal: station; rank; standing place

علی

ʿ-l-w → “in” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

خدمة

kh-d-m → “serve”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

ربّک

r-b-b → “thy Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

انّه

ʾ-n-n → “He, verily”

literal: I, verily; behold I

يجزيک

j-z-y → “shall reward”

literal: poll tax; tribute; recompense; reward; requital

جزاء

j-z-y → “recompense”

literal: poll tax; tribute; recompense; reward; requital

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تعادله

ʿ-d-l → “justice” Distinctive

literal: justice; equity

کنوز

k-n-z → “treasures”

literal: treasure; treasure-trove; hidden store; treasury

الارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “the earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

خزائن

kh-z-n → “treasury” Distinctive

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

الملوک

m-l-k → “kings”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

السّلاطين

s-l-ṭ → “rulers”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

توکّل

w-k-l → “trust”

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority; to rely; to trust; to place trust in

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

کلّ

k-l-l → “all thine”

literal: all; every; all, every

الامور

ʾ-m-r → “affairs”

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

فوّضها

f-w-ḍ → “commit”

literal: commit; delegation; negotiation

اليه

ʾ-l-y → “besmirch”

literal: to; to him; besmirch

يعطيک

ʿ-ṭ-y → “render thee”

literal: bounty; gift; bestowal; grace; bountifulness

اجرا

j-r-y → “flow” Distinctive

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

کان

k-w-n → “be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

الکتاب

k-t-b → “the Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

عظيما

ʿ-ẓ-m → “great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

دو

d-w

literal: two; run; running

عمر

ʿ-m-r → “thy life” Distinctive

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

باعمالی

ʿ-m-l → “such deeds”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

مشغول

sh-gh-l → “busied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

عرف

ʿ-r-f → “fragrance”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

رضا

r-ḍ-y → “Divine good-pleasure” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

متضوّع

ḍ-w-ʿ → “diffuse”

literal: emitting fragrance; diffusing; exuding

گردد

g-r-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: to become; to happen; to come to pass

بطراز

ṭ-r-z → “ornament”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

مزيّن

z-y-n → “adorned”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

شود

sh-w-d → “be”

literal: be; become

بلال

b-l-l → “Balal”

literal: by God; with God; in God

حبشی

ḥ-b-sh → “Ethiopian”

literal: Ethiopian; Abyssinian

چون

ch-w-n

literal: since; when; as

افتاد

f-t-d → “fallen”

literal: to fall, drop, befall, happen, come to pass

سين

s-y-n → ““sin”

literal: tooth; years; future; breast; chest; bosom

او

h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

شين

sh-y-n → ““shin”

literal: evil, disgrace; the letter ‘shin’; befitting; appropriate; suitable

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

سبقت

s-b-q → “hath surpassed”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

گرفت

g-r-f

literal: to take; to seize; to grasp; to hold

امروز

r-w-z → “This is the day”

literal: day; today; that-day

بايد

b-y-d → “should”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “all peoples”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

احزاب

ḥ-z-b → “peoples”

literal: party; people; community

بنور

n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

اتّحاد

w-ḥ-d → “unity”

literal: unity; union; unification

اتّفاق

w-f-q → “concord”

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

باری

b-r-y → “Briefly”

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

کبر

k-b-r → “pride”

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

غرور

gh-r-r → “pride”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

بعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ → “certain”

literal: part; some; portion

دانائی

d-ʾ-n → “true understanding”

literal: knowledge; wisdom; understanding

خراب

kh-r-b → “most desolate”

literal: ruin; desolation

کرده

k-r-d → “have made”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; deed; action; conduct; behavior

بيت

b-y-t → “home” Distinctive

literal: house; household; family; verse

داد

d-ʾ-d → “of equity”

literal: to give; to grant; to present; justice; judgment; to see; sight; eye; seen

ويران

w-y-r → “laid waste”

literal: destroyed

نموده

n-m-ود → “hath”

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

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

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

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 ¶

Will and Testament

‘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 ¶