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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §175

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 175 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ فکر نما و بانصاف تکلّم کن حزب شيخ احسائی باعانت الهی عارف شدند بانچه که دون ان حزب از ان محروم و محجوب مشاهده گشتند * باری در هر عصری و هر قرنی ايّام ظهور مشارق وحی و مطالع الهام و مهابط علم الهی اختلاف ظاهر و سبب و علّت ان نفوس کاذبه ملحده بوده‌اند * شرح اين مقام جائز نه ان جناب خود اعرف و اعلمند باوهام متوهّمين و ظنون مريبين *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Meditate, O Shaykh, and be fair in what thou sayest. The followers of Shaykh-i-Ahsa'i (Shaykh Aḥmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that which was veiled from the comprehension of others, and of which they remained deprived. Briefly, in every age and century differences have arisen in the days of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation, and the Dawning-Places of inspiration, and the Repositories of Divine knowledge, differences which have been caused and provoked by lying and impious souls. To expatiate on this is not permissible. Thou art thyself better acquainted and more familiar with the idle fancies of the superstitious and the vain imaginings of the doubters.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

شيخ
sh-y-kh → “Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

فکر
f-k-r → “Meditate”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

نما
n-m-ʾ

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

بانصاف
n-ṣ-f → “fair”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

تکلّم
k-l-m → “words” Distinctive

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

کن
k-w-n → “be”

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

حزب
ḥ-z-b → “followers”

literal: party; people; community

باعانت
ʿ-w-n → “by the aid”

literal: help; aid; helper; supporter

الهی
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

عارف
ʿ-r-f → “apprehended”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

شدند
sh-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: to not become; to not be

بانچه
b-ch-h → “that which”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

که
k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

دون
d-w-n → “from the comprehension of others”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

ان
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

از
ʾ-z

literal: from

محروم
ḥ-r-m → “deprived”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

محجوب
ḥ-j-b → “veiled”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

مشاهده
sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

گشتند
g-sh-t → “have been”

literal: to become; to turn; to be

باری
b-r-y → “Briefly”

literal: well; cistern; pit

در
d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

هر
h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

عصری
ʿ-ṣ-r → “age”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

قرنی
q-r-n → “century”

literal: conjunction; union; coupling; association

ايّام
y-w-m → “days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

ظهور
ẓ-h-r → “manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مشارق
sh-r-q → “Daysprings”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

وحی
w-ḥ-y → “Revelation”

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

مطالع
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dawning-Places” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

الهام
l-h-m → “inspiration”

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

مهابط
h-b-ṭ → “Repository of His Revelation” Distinctive

literal: landing place; descent; alighting place

علم
ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

اختلاف
kh-l-f → “differences”

literal: opposing; contrary; conflicting

سبب
s-b-b → “caused”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

علّت
ʿ-l-l

literal: for us; to us

نفوس
n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

کاذبه
k-dh-b → “lying”

literal: denial; belying; falsification; rejection; liar; lying; false

ملحده
l-ḥ-d → “impious”

literal: melodies; songs; tunes

بوده‌اند
b-w-d → “have been”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

شرح
sh-r-ḥ → “dilated” Distinctive

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

اين
ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

مقام
q-w-m → “this” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

جائز
j-w-z → “transgressed” Distinctive

literal: permissible; allowed; possible; fair; lawful

نه
n-h-y → “not” Distinctive

literal: end; ended; utmost

جناب
j-n-b → “Thou”

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

خود
kh-w-d → “their own”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

باوهام
w-h-m → “idle fancies”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

ظنون
ẓ-n-n → “imaginings”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

مريبين
r-y-b → “doubters”

literal: doubt, suspicion, uncertainty; doubt; suspicion

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

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