Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §128

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 128 of 268.

Source (Persian)

استدعا انکه حضرت سلطان ايّده اللّه تبارک و تعالی در اين امور بنفسه تفکّر فرمايند و بعدل و انصاف حکم نمايند مع انکه در اکثری از بلاد ايران در اين سنين اخيره اين حزب کشته شدند و نکشتند مشاهده ميشود بغضای افئده بعضی زياده از قبل ظاهر * و از سيّد اعمال شفاعت مظلومها از اعداء نزد امراء بوده البتّه بسمع بعضی رسيده که حزب مظلوم در ان مدينه نزد حاکم از قاتلها شفاعت نمودند و تخفيف طلب کردند * فاعتبروا يا اولی الابصار *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

We entreat His Majesty the Sháh, - may God, hallowed and glorified be He, assist him - himself to ponder upon these things, and to judge with equity and justice. Although in recent years a number of the faithful have, in most of the cities of Persia, suffered themselves to be killed rather than kill, yet the hatred smouldering in certain hearts hath blazed more fiercely than before. For the victims of oppression to intercede in favor of their enemies is, in the estimation of rulers, a princely deed. Some must have certainly heard that this oppressed people have, in that city (‘Ishqábád), pleaded with the Governor on behalf of their murderers, and asked for the mitigation of their sentence. Take, then, good heed, ye who are men of insight!

Translation Notes

استدعا

d-ʿ-w → “entreat”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

انکه

ʾ-n → “His”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Majesty”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

سلطان

s-l-ṭ → “Sháh”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

ايّده

ʾ-y-d → “assist”

literal: hand; power; strength; (plural) hands; agents; helpers; to assist, to support, to aid, to strengthen

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

تبارک

b-r-k → “blessed”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

تعالی

ʿ-l-w → “glorified”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

امور

ʾ-m-r → “things”

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

بنفسه

n-f-s → “himself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

تفکّر

f-k-r → “ponder”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions

فرمايند

f-r-m → “saith” Distinctive

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

بعدل

ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

انصاف

n-ṣ-f → “equity”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

حکم

ḥ-k-m → “judge” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

نمايند

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

مع

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

اکثری

k-th-r → “most”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

بلاد

b-l-d → “cities”

literal: city; land; country

سنين

s-n-n → “years”

literal: year; years

اخيره

ʾ-kh-r

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

حزب

ḥ-z-b → “people”

literal: party; people; community

کشته

k-sh-t → “killed”

literal: slayer; killer; murderer

شدند

sh-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: to not become; to not be

مشاهده

sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

ميشود

sh-w-d

literal: to not become; to not be

بغضای

b-gh-ḍ → “hatred”

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

افئده

f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

بعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ → “certain”

literal: part; some; portion

زياده

z-y-d → “increase” Distinctive

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

قبل

q-b-l → “before”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

سيّد

s-y-d

literal: master; lord; chief; my master

اعمال

ʿ-m-l → “deed”

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

شفاعت

sh-f-ʿ → “intercede”

literal: intercession; seek intercession, beseech

مظلومها

ẓ-l-m → “victims of oppression”

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

اعداء

ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

نزد

n-z-d → “unto”

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

بوده

b-w-d

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

البتّه

b-t-t → “assuredly”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

بسمع

s-m-ʿ → “heard”

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

رسيده

r-s-d

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

مدينه

m-d-n → “city”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

حاکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

قاتلها

q-t-l → “murderers”

literal: slayer; killer; murderer

نمودند

n-m-ود → “hath” Distinctive

literal: do; to do; do/make

تخفيف

kh-f-f → “mitigation”

literal: mitigation

طلب

ṭ-l-b → “asked”

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

کردند

k-r-d

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

فاعتبروا

ʿ-b-r → “tears” Distinctive

literal: expression; phrase; utterance; statement; passage; wording

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

اولی

ʾ-w-l → “first” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

الابصار

b-ṣ-r → “insight”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet

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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 ¶