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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

تکن
tkn k-w-n “be”

literal: be; to be

SE rendered بالعلم (bálʿlm)مُرِ (mur)العباد (al-ʿbád)بالمعروف (bálmʿrúf)تکن (tkn)المتوقّفين (al-mtúqqfín)ببصر (bbṣr)حديد (ḥdíd)نظر (nẓr) as “for thy learning, ! Bid, men, be, tarry, a keen, Observe thou”

thou 33% worth 17% before 17% withhold 17% have 17%
حديد
ḥdíd ḥ-d-d

literal: limit; limited; limits

SE rendered تکن (tkn)المتوقّفين (al-mtúqqfín)ببصر (bbṣr)حديد (ḥdíd)نظر (nẓr)نما (nmá)افتاب (iftáb)حقيقت (ḥqíqt)بامر (bámr)مالک (málk) as “be, tarry, a keen, Observe thou, hath, The Sun, of Truth, at the bidding, the Lord”

sharp 22% discernment 22% chains 22% keen 11% steel 11% discerning 11%
از
iz ʾ-z

literal: from

SE rendered ملکوت (mlkút)بيان (bíán)سلطان (slṭán)جبروت (jbrút)عرفان (ʿrfán)از (iz)افق (ifq)سماء (smáʾ)سجن (sjn)عکّاء (ʿkkáʾ)مشرق (mshrq) as “of the kingdom, of utterance, the King, of the heaven, of knowledge, above the horizon, of the prison-city, of ‘Akká, shineth resplendently”

23 occurrences in corpus

سماء
smáʾ s-m-w

literal: heaven

SE rendered سلطان (slṭán)جبروت (jbrút)عرفان (ʿrfán)از (iz)افق (ifq)سماء (smáʾ)سجن (sjn)عکّاء (ʿkkáʾ)مشرق (mshrq)لائح (láʾḥ)اعراض (iʿráḍ) as “the King, of the heaven, of knowledge, above the horizon, of the prison-city, of ‘Akká, shineth resplendently, Repudiation”

لائح
láʾḥ l-w-ḥ

literal: tablet; tablets; allusion

SE rendered افق (ifq)سماء (smáʾ)سجن (sjn)عکّاء (ʿkkáʾ)مشرق (mshrq)لائح (láʾḥ)اعراض (iʿráḍ)محجوب (mḥjúb) as “above the horizon, of the prison-city, of ‘Akká, shineth resplendently, Repudiation, not veiled”

صفوف
ṣfúf ṣ-f-f “rank” Distinctive

literal: rank; ranks

This form usually rendered as “ten” (3 occurrences)

rank 33% ten 33% uttered 33%
الوف
al-wf ʾ-l-f

literal: thousand; thousands; intimacy/unity

SE rendered محجوب (mḥjúb)ننمود (nnmúd)صفوف (ṣfúf)الوف (al-wf)منعش (mnʿsh)نکرد (nkrd)از (iz)برای (bráy)جناب (jnáb)هيچ (hích) as “not veiled, ten thousand, powerless to withhold, do, Thou canst excuse thyself, no”

برای
bráy b-r-y

literal: for

SE rendered صفوف (ṣfúf)الوف (al-wf)منعش (mnʿsh)نکرد (nkrd)از (iz)برای (bráy)جناب (jnáb)هيچ (hích) as “ten thousand, powerless to withhold, do, Thou canst excuse thyself, no”

wherefore 50% light 50%
هيچ
hích h-y-ch “any”

literal: any

5 occurrences in corpus

عذری
ʿdhrí ʿ-dh-r

literal: excuse; excused

SE rendered منعش (mnʿsh)نکرد (nkrd)از (iz)برای (bráy)جناب (jnáb)هيچ (hích)عذری (ʿdhrí)باقی (báqí)نمانده (nmándh)بايد (báyd)اقرار (iqrár) as “powerless to withhold, do, Thou canst excuse thyself, no, must, recognize”

excuse 50% evade 50%
باقی
báqí b-q-y

literal: remaining; remain

SE rendered نکرد (nkrd)از (iz)برای (bráy)جناب (jnáb)هيچ (hích)عذری (ʿdhrí)باقی (báqí)نمانده (nmándh)بايد (báyd)اقرار (iqrár) as “do, Thou canst excuse thyself, no, must, recognize”

نمانده
nmándh m-ʾ-n

literal: remain; remained; to remain

SE rendered جناب (jnáb)هيچ (hích)عذری (ʿdhrí)باقی (báqí)نمانده (nmándh)بايد (báyd)اقرار (iqrár)نمائی (nmáʾí)نعوذ (nʿúdh) as “Thou canst excuse thyself, no, must, recognize, God forbid”

leaveth 20% linger 20% cannot 20% remained 20% remaineth 20%
باللّه
bálllh ʾ-l-h

literal: God; divine; god

SE rendered بايد (báyd)اقرار (iqrár)نمائی (nmáʾí)نعوذ (nʿúdh)باللّه (bálllh)بر (br)انکار (inkár)قيام (qíám) as “must, recognize, God forbid, deny, arise”

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%
بر
br b-r-r

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered اقرار (iqrár)نمائی (nmáʾí)نعوذ (nʿúdh)باللّه (bálllh)بر (br)انکار (inkár)قيام (qíám) as “recognize, God forbid, deny, arise”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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