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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §173

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 173 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا ايّها المعروف بالعلم مُرِ العباد بالمعروف و لا تکن من المتوقّفين * ببصر حديد نظر نما افتاب حقيقت بامر مالک ملکوت بيان و سلطان جبروت عرفان از افق سماء سجن عکّاء مشرق و لائح اعراض او را محجوب ننمود و صفوف و الوف منعش نکرد از برای ان جناب هيچ عذری باقی نمانده يا بايد اقرار نمائی و يا نعوذ باللّه بر انکار کلّ قيام کنی*

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Bid men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of such as tarry. Observe thou with a keen eye. The Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance, and the King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon of the prison-city of ‘Akká. Repudiation hath not veiled it, and ten thousand hosts arrayed against it were powerless to withhold it from shining. Thou canst excuse thyself no longer. Either thou must recognize it, or - God forbid - arise and deny all the Prophets!

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ → “O ye”

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

ايّها
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

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

المعروف
ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بالعلم
ʿ-l-m → “for thy learning”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

مُرِ
m-r-r → “At one time”

literal: to pass; to pass by; to go

العباد
ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

لا
l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تکن
k-w-n → “be”

literal: to be; existence

من
m-n → “from”

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

المتوقّفين
w-q-f → “hesitated” Distinctive

literal: to stop; to halt; to pause; to hesitate

ببصر
b-ṣ-r → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

حديد
ḥ-d-d

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

نظر
n-ẓ-r → “Observe thou” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

نما
n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

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

افتاب
ʾ-f-t-ʾ-b → “Day-Star”

literal: horizon, direction, region; horizon; sun

حقيقت
ḥ-q-q → “of Truth”

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

بامر
ʾ-m-r → “at the bidding” Distinctive

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

مالک
m-l-k → “Lord”

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

بيان
b-y-n → “of utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

سلطان
s-l-ṭ → “King”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

جبروت
j-b-r → “of the heaven”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

افق
ʾ-f-q → “above the horizon”

literal: horizon, direction, region; horizon; sun

سماء
s-m-w

literal: heaven; sky

سجن
s-j-n → “of the prison-city”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

مشرق
sh-r-q → “shineth resplendently” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

لائح
l-w-ḥ

literal: to appear; to shine; to flash; to gleam

اعراض
ʿ-r-ḍ → “Repudiation” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

او
h-w-w → “it” Distinctive

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

را
r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

محجوب
ḥ-j-b → “not veiled”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

صفوف
ṣ-f-f → “rank on rank” Distinctive

literal: rows; ranks; battalions; lines

الوف
ʾ-l-f

literal: thousand; thousands; intimacy/unity

منعش
m-n-ʿ → “powerless to withhold”

literal: revived; stirred; aroused; risen

نکرد
k-r-d → “do” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to speak; to abstain; to refrain from; to avoid; allusion; insinuation; indirect reference

برای
b-r-y

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

ان
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

جناب
j-n-b → “Thou canst excuse thyself”

literal: to avoid; to shun; to keep away from

هيچ
h-y-ch → “any”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

عذری
ʿ-dh-r

literal: excuse; excused

باقی
b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

نمانده
m-ʾ-n

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

بايد
b-y-d → “must”

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

اقرار
q-r-r → “recognize” Distinctive

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

نعوذ
ʿ-w-dh → “God forbid”

literal: we seek refuge; God forbid

باللّه
ʾ-l-h

literal: supplication; earnest entreaty; imploring

بر
b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

انکار
n-k-r → “deny” Distinctive

literal: denial; rejection; repudiation; wrong; evil; to deny; to reject

کلّ
k-l-l → “all the Prophets”

literal: for us; to us

قيام
q-w-m → “arise”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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