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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §161

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 161 of 268.

Source (Persian)

در اين حين سزاوار انکه بحضرت مقصود توجّه نمائيم و باين کلمات عاليات متمسّک شويم * الهی الهی سراج امرت را بدهن حکمت برافروختی از ارياح مختلفه حفظش نما * سراج از تو زجاج از تو اسباب اسمان و زمين در قبضه قدرت تو * امرا را عدل عنايت فرما و علما را انصاف * توئی ان مقتدری که بحرکت قلم امر مبرمت را نصرت فرمودی و اوليا را راه نمودی * توئی مالک قدرت و مليک اقتدار لا اله الّا انت العزيز المختار * و قل الهی الهی لک الحمد بما سقيتنی من يد عطاء اسمک القيّوم رحيقک المختوم * اسألک بانوار فجر ظهورک و بنفوذ کلمتک العليا و اقتدار قلمک الاعلی الّذی بحرکته انجذبت حقائق الاشياء ان توفّق حضرة السّلطان علی نصرة امرک و الاقبال الی افق ظهورک و التّوجّه الی انوار وجهک * ای ربّ ايّده علی ما يقرّبه اليک ثمّ انصره بجنود السّموات و الارض * اسألک يا اله الاسماء و فاطر السّماء بنور امرک و نار سدرة عنايتک ان تؤيّد حضرته علی اظهار امرک بين خلقک ثمّ افتح علی وجهه ابواب فضلک و رحمتک و عطائک انّک انت المقتدر علی ما تشاء بقولک کن فيکون *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

At this moment it behooveth us to turn unto the Desired One, and cleave unto these most sublime words: "O God, my God! Thou hast lighted the lamp of Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it from contrary winds. The lamp is Thine, and the glass is Thine, and all things in the heavens and on earth are in the grasp of Thy power. Bestow justice upon the rulers, and fairness upon the divines. Thou art the All-Powerful, Who, through the motion of Thy Pen, hast aided Thine irresistible Cause, and guided aright Thy loved ones. Thou art the Possessor of power, and the King of might. No God is there but Thee, the Strong, the Unconstrained." Say thou also: "O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks inasmuch as Thou hast made me to drink of Thy Sealed Wine from the hand of the bounty of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting. I entreat Thee by the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, and by the potency of Thy Most Sublime Word, and by the might of Thy Most Exalted Pen, through Whose movement the realities of all created things have been enraptured, to aid His Majesty the Sháh to render Thy Cause victorious, and to turn towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and to set his face in the direction of the lights of Thy countenance. Assist him, O my Lord, to draw nigh unto Thee. Help him, then, with the hosts of the heavens and of earth. I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all Names and the Maker of the heavens, by the light of Thy Cause, and by the fire of the Lote-Tree of Thy loving-kindness, to help His Majesty to reveal Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures. Open, then, before his face the doors of Thy grace, and Thy mercy, and Thy bounty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee by Thy word: \‘Be, and it is.'"

Translation Notes

در
d-r-r “At” Distinctive

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اين

literal: this; these

حين

literal: time; moment; while; season

سزاوار

literal: worthy; fitting; deserving; appropriate; suitable

مقصود

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

توجّه

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

باين

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

کلمات

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

عاليات

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

متمسّک
m-s-k “cleave” Distinctive

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

شويم

literal: to become; to be

الهی

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

سراج

literal: lamp; light; illuminator

امرت
ʾ-m-r “Cause” Distinctive

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

را

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بدهن

literal: they give; they provide; they attribute

حکمت

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

برافروختی

literal: to kindle; to light; to raise; to establish

از

literal: from

ارياح

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

مختلفه

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

حفظش

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

نما
n-m-ʾ “may” Distinctive

literal: do; show; make

تو
t-w-w “Thine” Distinctive

literal: you

زجاج

literal: glass

اسباب

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

اسمان

literal: heaven; sky

زمين

literal: time; age; era; period

قبضه

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

قدرت

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

امرا
ʾ-m-r “rulers” Distinctive

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

عدل

literal: justice; equity

فرما
f-r-m “saith” Distinctive

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

علما
ʿ-l-m “divines” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

انصاف

literal: justice; fairness; equity

توئی

literal: thou, you (singular)

ان

literal: that; those; he; she; it

که

literal: that; who; who, that

بحرکت

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

قلم

literal: pen; writing instrument

مبرمت

literal: irrevocable; decisive; compelling/decisive

اوليا
w-l-y “loved ones” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

راه
r-h

literal: way; path; road

نمودی
n-m-ود “hath” Distinctive

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

مالک

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

لا

literal: no; not; negation particle

اله

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

الّا
ʾ-kh-r “but” Distinctive

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

انت

literal: thou, you (singular)

العزيز
ʿ-z-z “glory” Distinctive

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

المختار

literal: west; the western region

قل

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

لک
l

literal: for; for you; for him

الحمد

literal: praise; to praise

بما
m-ʾ “that” Distinctive

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

سقيتنی

literal: to give drink; to water, irrigate; to water

من

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

يد

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

عطاء

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

القيّوم

literal: rising; standing; resurrection; uprising; establishment

رحيقک

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

المختوم

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

اسألک

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

بانوار

literal: light; illumination

فجر

literal: dawn; dayspring; to break (of dawn)

ظهورک

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بنفوذ

literal: penetrating, effective; piercing; decisive

کلمتک

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

الّذی

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

بحرکته

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

انجذبت

literal: to draw, attract, pull; to be enraptured

حقائق

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

الاشياء

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

توفّق

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

حضرة

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

السّلطان

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

نصرة
n-ṣ-r “aid” Distinctive

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

الاقبال

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الی

literal: one; a single

افق

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

ای
ʾ-y-y “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

ربّ

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ايّده

literal: come; support; may aid

يقرّبه

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

ثمّ

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

بجنود

literal: hosts, armies, troops

الارض

literal: earth; land; ground; country

يا

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

فاطر

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

نار

literal: fire; blaze; flame

سدرة

literal: lote-tree; divine tree

عنايتک

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

تؤيّد
ʾ-y-d “inspired” Distinctive

literal: come; support; may aid

بين

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

خلقک

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

افتح

literal: open; opened; keys

ابواب

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

فضلک

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

رحمتک

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

انّک

literal: that; indeed; verily

کن

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

فيکون
k-w-n “be” Distinctive

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

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

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16 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶