Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §198

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 198 of 268.

Source (Persian)

انّا نذکر لک الامانة و مقامها عند اللّه ربّک ربّ العرش العظيم * انّا قصدنا يوما من الايّام جزيرتنا الخضراء و لمّا وردنا رأينا انهارها جارية و اشجارها ملتفّة و کانت الشّمس تلعب فی خلال الاشجار * اذا توجّهنا الی اليمين رأينا ما لا يتحرّک القلم علی ذکره و ذکر ما شهدت عين مولی الوری فی ذاک المقام الالطف الاشرف المبارک الاعلی * ثمّ اقبلنا الی اليسار شاهدنا طلعة من طلعات الفردوس الاعلی قائمة علی عمود من النّور و نادت باعلی النّداء : يا ملأ الارض و السّماء انظروا جمالی و نوری و ظهوری و اشراقی تاللّه الحقّ انا الامانة و ظهورها و حسنها و اجرٌ لمن تمسّک بها و عرف شانها و مقامها و تشبّث بذيلها * انا الزّينة الکبری لاهل البهاء و طراز العزّ لمن فی ملکوت الانشاء و أنا السّبب الاعظم لثروة العالم و افق الاطمئنان لاهل الامکان * کذلک انزلنا لک ما يقرّب العباد الی مالک الايجاد *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

"We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof in the estimation of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We beheld its streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst. Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what the pen is powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that which the eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in that most sanctified, that most sublime, that blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: \‘O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence. By God, the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people of Bahá, and the vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of assurance unto all beings.' Thus have We sent down for thee that which will draw men nigh unto the Lord of creation."

Translation Notes

انّا

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

نذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

لک

l → “His is”

literal: for; for you; for him

الامانة

ʾ-m-n → “Trustworthiness”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure

مقامها

q-w-m → “station thereof”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

عند

ʿ-n-d → “estimation of” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ربّک

r-b-b → “thy Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

العرش

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

العظيم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

قصدنا

q-ṣ-d → “purpose” Distinctive

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

يوما

y-w-m

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

من

m-n → “of”

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

جزيرتنا

j-z-r → “island”

literal: island

الخضراء

kh-ḍ-r

literal: green; verdant; greenness

لمّا

l-m-ʾ → “When”

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

وردنا

w-r-d → “Upon Our arrival”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

رأينا

r-ʾ-y → “We beheld”

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

انهارها

n-h-r → “its streams”

literal: river; to flow

جارية

j-r-y → “flowing” Distinctive

literal: trade; commerce; business; to flow; to run; to be in effect; flowing

اشجارها

sh-j-r → “its trees”

literal: tree

ملتفّة

l-f-f → “luxuriant”

literal: intertwined; wrapped; closely grown

کانت

k-w-n

literal: you (masculine singular)

الشّمس

sh-m-s → “the sunlight”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

تلعب

l-ʿ-b → “disportest”

literal: to play; to sport; to jest

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

خلال

kh-l-l

literal: friend; midst; defect

اذا

ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

توجّهنا

w-j-h → “Turning”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

الی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

اليمين

y-m-n

literal: right hand; oath; right side

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يتحرّک

ḥ-r-k

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

القلم

q-l-m → “the pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

علی

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شهدت

sh-h-d → “witnessed”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

عين

ʿ-y-n → “eye”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

مولی

w-l-y → “Lord”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

الوری

w-r-y → “of Mankind”

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

ذاک

dh-l-k → “that”

literal: thus; likewise; also

الالطف

l-ṭ-f → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

الاشرف

sh-r-f → “honored” Distinctive

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

المبارک

b-r-k → “blest”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful; blest; blessed word

ثمّ

th-m-m → “Turning, then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اقبلنا

q-б-l → “former” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

اليسار

y-s-r → “left”

literal: to go; to walk; left

طلعة

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

الفردوس

f-r-d-w-s → “the Most Sublime Paradise”

literal: Paradise; garden; the highest paradise

عمود

ʿ-m-d → “pillars”

literal: pillar; rely; baptize

النّور

n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

نادت

n-d-y → “calling aloud saying”

literal: you (singular/plural pronoun)

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

ملأ

m-l-ʾ → “Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

السّماء

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

انظروا

n-ẓ-r → “Behold ye” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

جمالی

j-m-l → “My beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ظهوری

ẓ-h-r → “My revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; revelation

اشراقی

sh-r-q → “My effulgence”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

الحقّ

ḥ-q-q → “the True One” Distinctive

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

حسنها

ḥ-s-n → “most excellent” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

اجرٌ

ʾ-j-r → “I will recompense”

literal: wage; recompense; reward; wage, reward, recompense

تمسّک

m-s-k → “will cleave”

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

بها

b-h-w → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

عرف

ʿ-r-f → “recognize”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

شانها

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise” Distinctive

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

تشبّث

sh-b-th → “hold fast”

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

بذيلها

dh-y-l → “unto My hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

الزّينة

z-y-n → “adorn”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

الکبری

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

لاهل

ʾ-h-l → “of the people of Bahá”

literal: to distract; to divert; to amuse

طراز

ṭ-r-z → “vesture” Distinctive

literal: all; all together; -ward; fresh; tender; new

العزّ

ʿ-z-z → “of glory”

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

ملکوت

m-l-k → “kingdom”

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

الانشاء

n-sh-ʾ → “of”

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

السّبب

s-b-b → “the supreme instrument” Distinctive

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

لثروة

th-r-w → “riches” Distinctive

literal: wealth, riches, affluence

العالم

ʿ-l-m → “of the world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

افق

ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

الاطمئنان

ṭ-m-n → “of assurance”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

الامکان

m-k-n → “creation”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

انزلنا

n-z-l → “have We sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

يقرّب

q-r-b → “will draw men nigh”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

العباد

ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

الايجاد

w-j-d → “of creation”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶