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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §200

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 200 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ بايد علما با حضرت سلطان ايّده اللّه متّحد شوند و در ليالی و ايّام بما يرتفع به شأن الدّولة و الملّة تمسّک نمايند * اين حزب بتمام همّت بتهذيب نفوس و اصلاح امور متشبّث و مشغولند * يشهد بذلک ما نزّل من القلم الاعلی فی هذا اللّوح المبين * چه بسا از امور که سهل و اسان بنظر می‌ايد و لکن اکثری از ان غافل و باموريکه سبب تضييع ايّامست مشغول *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! It is incumbent upon the divines to unite with His Majesty, the Sháh - may God assist him - and to cleave day and night unto that which will exalt the station of both the government and the nation. This people are assiduously occupied in enlightening the souls of men and in rehabilitating their condition. Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen in this lucid Tablet. How often have things been simple and easy of accomplishment, and yet most men have been heedless, and busied themselves with that which wasteth their time!

Translation Notes

اللّه
al-lh ʾ-l-h

literal: God; divine; god

SE rendered بايد (báyd)علما (ʿlmá)حضرت (ḥḍrt)سلطان (slṭán)ايّده (iyydh)اللّه (al-lh)متّحد (mttḥd)شوند (shúnd)ليالی (líálí)ايّام (iyyám) as “is incumbent, the divines, His Majesty, the Sháh, may God assist, unite, night, day”

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%
شوند
shúnd sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered حضرت (ḥḍrt)سلطان (slṭán)ايّده (iyydh)اللّه (al-lh)متّحد (mttḥd)شوند (shúnd)ليالی (líálí)ايّام (iyyám)يرتفع (yrtfʿ) as “His Majesty, the Sháh, may God assist, unite, night, day, will exalt”

again 14% would 14% feed 14% unraveling 14% will 14% therein 14% intervening 14%
همّت
hmmt h-m-m

literal: endeavor

SE rendered تمسّک (tmssk)نمايند (nmáynd)حزب (ḥzb)بتمام (btmám)همّت (hmmt)بتهذيب (bthdhíb)نفوس (nfús)اصلاح (iṣláḥ)امور (imúr) as “cleave, hath, people, assiduously, enlightening, the souls, rehabilitating, condition”

متشبّث
mtshbbth sh-b-th

literal: cling; clinging; clinging/holding fast

SE rendered بتهذيب (bthdhíb)نفوس (nfús)اصلاح (iṣláḥ)امور (imúr)متشبّث (mtshbbth)مشغولند (mshghúlnd)يشهد (yshhd)بذلک (bdhlk)نزّل (nzzl) as “enlightening, the souls, rehabilitating, condition, occupied, testifieth, Unto this, sent down”

clinging 61% clung 11% cling 11% take 6% resolve 6% set 6%
الاعلی
al-áʿlí ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; exalted

SE rendered يشهد (yshhd)بذلک (bdhlk)نزّل (nzzl)القلم (al-qlm)الاعلی (al-áʿlí)اللّوح (al-lúḥ)المبين (al-mbín)چه (chh) as “testifieth, Unto this, sent down, the Most Sublime Pen, Tablet, How often”

most 45% high 18% glory 10% loftiest 6% exalted 6% highest 5% supreme 4% all-glorious 3% heights 2% one 1%
المبين
al-mbín b-y-n

literal: utterance

SE rendered القلم (al-qlm)الاعلی (al-áʿlí)اللّوح (al-lúḥ)المبين (al-mbín)چه (chh)بسا (bsá)از (iz)امور (imúr)سهل (shl) as “the Most Sublime Pen, Tablet, How often, things, simple”

بسا
bsá b-s-y

literal: many, often; many; very, greatly

SE rendered اللّوح (al-lúḥ)المبين (al-mbín)چه (chh)بسا (bsá)از (iz)امور (imúr)سهل (shl)اسان (isán) as “Tablet, How often, things, simple, easy”

greatly 33% clear 33% how 33%
اسان
isán y-s-r “left” Distinctive

literal: left; easy

This form usually rendered as “easy” (1 occurrences)

left 67% easy 33%
بنظر
bnẓr n-ẓ-r

literal: look; looking; view

SE rendered چه (chh)بسا (bsá)از (iz)امور (imúr)سهل (shl)اسان (isán)بنظر (bnẓr)می‌ايد (mí‌áyd)لکن (lkn)اکثری (ikthrí)از (iz)غافل (gháfl) as “How often, have been, things, simple, easy, yet, most men, heedless”

observe 15% beholding 15% because 11% sight 11% owing 11% consider 7% ponder 7% considering 7% eye 7% reason 7%
می‌ايد

literal: support; strengthen; assist

SE rendered امور (imúr)سهل (shl)اسان (isán)بنظر (bnẓr)می‌ايد (mí‌áyd)لکن (lkn)اکثری (ikthrí)از (iz)غافل (gháfl) as “things, simple, easy, yet, most men, have been, heedless”

assist 41% aid 29% helper 6% may 6% aided 6% obtain 6% graciously 6%
لکن
lkn l-k-n “yet”

literal: but; but, however; but/however

SE rendered سهل (shl)اسان (isán)بنظر (bnẓr)می‌ايد (mí‌áyd)لکن (lkn)اکثری (ikthrí)از (iz)غافل (gháfl)باموريکه (bámúríkh) as “simple, easy, yet, most men, have been, heedless, that which”

however 67% yet 20% “but 7% whereas 7%
سبب
sbb s-b-b

literal: cause; cause, reason; means

SE rendered اکثری (ikthrí)از (iz)غافل (gháfl)باموريکه (bámúríkh)سبب (sbb)تضييع (tḍíyʿ)ايّامست (iyyámst)مشغول (mshghúl) as “most men, have been, heedless, that which, wasteth, their time, busied”

cause 36% caused 15% means 13% conducive 10% reason 8% will 5% most 3% leadeth 3% result 3% instrument 3%

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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