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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §190

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 190 of 268.

Source (Persian)

عند ذلک سمعنا ضجيج الفطرة قلنا مالی يا فطرة اسمع فی اللّيالی صريخک و فی الايام ضجيک و فی الاسحار حنينک * قالت يا سيّد العالم الظّاهر بالاسم الاعظم قد عقر الغافلون ناقتک البيضاء و غرّقوا سفينتک الحمراء و ارادوا ان يطفئوا نورک و يستروا وجه امرک * بذلک ارتفع حنينی و حنين الاشياء کلّها و النّاس اکثرهم من الغافلين * امروز فطرت باذيال کرم تشبّث نموده و طائف حول گشته *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thereupon We heard the groaning of the true Faith, and said unto it: "Wherefore, O true Faith, do I hear Thee cry out in the night season, and groan in the daytime, and utter Thy lamentations at daybreak?" She made reply: "O Prince of the world that standest revealed in the Most Great Name! The heedless ones have hamstrung Thy white She-Camel, and caused Thy Crimson Ark to founder, and wished to put out Thy Light, and to veil the face of Thy Cause. Wherefore hath the voice of My lamentation been lifted up, as well as the voice of the lamentation of all created things, and yet the people are for the most part unaware." The true Faith hath laid fast hold, in this day, on the hem of Our bounty, and circleth about Our Person.

Translation Notes

عند
ʿ-n-d → “Thereupon”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

ذلک
dh-l-k → “Thereupon”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

سمعنا
s-m-ʿ → “heard”

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

ضجيج
ḍ-j-j → “groaning”

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

الفطرة
f-ṭ-r → “true Faith”

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

قلنا
q-w-l → “said”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

مالی
m-w-l → “substance” Distinctive

literal: filled; full; replete; possession, property, ownership

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

اللّيالی
l-y-l → “the night season”

literal: night; darkness

صريخک
ṣ-r-kh → “cry out”

literal: cry; outcry; clamour; to cry out

الايام
y-w-m → “the daytime”

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

الاسحار
s-ḥ-r → “dawn”

literal: dawn, daybreak; morning hour

حنينک
ḥ-n-n → “lamentations”

literal: trial, tribulation, ordeal, testing

سيّد
s-y-d → “my Master” Distinctive

literal: master; lord; chief; my master

العالم
ʿ-l-m → “the world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الظّاهر
ẓ-h-r → “standest revealed”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بالاسم
s-m-w → “in the Most Great Name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

الاعظم
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

قد
q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

عقر
ʿ-q-r → “hamstrung”

literal: to hamstring; to maim; to cripple; to slay

الغافلون
gh-f-l → “heedless ones”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

ناقتک
n-y-q → “She-Camel”

literal: she-camel; female camel

البيضاء
b-y-ḍ → “white”

literal: white; pure; bright; radiant; clear

غرّقوا
gh-r-q

literal: to drown; drowned

سفينتک
s-f-n → “Ark”

literal: ship; ship/ark; ship, ark

الحمراء
ḥ-m-r → “Crimson”

literal: to be red; to redden

ارادوا
r-y-d → “wished”

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

ان
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يطفئوا
ṭ-f-ʾ → “put out”

literal: to extinguish, put out, quench; to be extinguished; to perish; to go out

نورک
n-w-r → “Light”

literal: light; illumination

يستروا
s-t-r → “veil”

literal: hidden; concealed; veil

وجه
w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

امرک
ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ارتفع
r-f-ʿ → “been lifted up” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

الاشياء
sh-y-ʾ → “all created things”

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

کلّها
k-l-l

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

النّاس
n-ʾ-s → “people”

literal: companionship; fellowship; familiarity; to keep company

اکثرهم
k-th-r → “for the most part”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

من
m-n

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

امروز
r-w-z → “in this day”

literal: day; today; that-day

باذيال
dh-y-l → “hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

کرم
k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

تشبّث
sh-b-th → “laid fast hold” Distinctive

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

نموده
n-m-ود → “hath”

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

طائف
ṭ-w-f → “circleth”

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

حول
ḥ-w-l → “now” Distinctive

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

گشته
g-sh-t

literal: become; became; to become

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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