Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §209

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 209 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ امر عظيم است و نبأ عظيم * بصبر و سکون در آيات باهرات و کلمات عاليات و ما ظهر فی هذه الايّام تفکّر نما شايد اسرار مکنونه در کتب را بيابی و بر هدايت عباد همّت نمائی * ندای ارميا را بسمع حقيقی بشنو ميفرمايد [ آه لانّ ذلک اليوم عظيم و ليس مثله ] اگر ان جناب بانصاف نظر نمايند بر عظمت يوم اگاه شوند * اسمع نداء هذا النّاصح العليم و لا تجعل نفسک محرومة عن الرّحمة الّتی سبقت الوجود من الغيب و الشّهود * نغمه حضرت داود را بشنو ميفرمايد [ من يقودنی الی المدينة المحصّنة ] مدينه محصّنه عکّا است که سجن اعظم ناميده شده و دارای حصن و قلعه محکم است *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! Great is the Cause, and great the Announcement! Patiently and calmly ponder thou upon the resplendent signs and the sublime words, and all that hath been revealed in these days, that haply thou mayest fathom the mysteries that are hid in the Books, and mayest strive to guide His servants. Hearken with thine inner ear unto the Voice of Jeremiah, Who saith: "Oh, for great is that Day, and it hath no equal." Wert thou to observe with the eye of fairness, thou wouldst perceive the greatness of the Day. Incline thine ear unto the Voice of this All-Knowing Counsellor, and suffer not thyself to be deprived of the mercy that hath surpassed all created things, visible and invisible. Lend an ear unto the song of David. He saith: "Who will bring me into the Strong City?" The Strong City is ‘Akká, which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

شيخ

sh-y-kh → “Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

امر

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

عظيم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Great”

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

نبأ

n-b-ʾ → “Announcement”

literal: prophet; messenger

بصبر

ṣ-b-r → “Patiently”

literal: patience; forbearance; endurance; to be patient

سکون

s-k-n → “inmates” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

آيات

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

باهرات

b-h-r → “resplendent”

literal: portion, share; for the sake of; spring (season)

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

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

عاليات

ʿ-l-w → “sublime”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

ظهر

ẓ-h-r → “hath been revealed”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

هذه

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الايّام

y-w-m → “days”

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

تفکّر

f-k-r → “ponder”

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

نما

n-m-ʾ → “thou”

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

شايد

sh-y-d → “haply”

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

اسرار

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

مکنونه

k-n-n → “hid”

literal: to do; to make; to perform

کتب

k-t-b → “Books”

literal: book; scripture; writing

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

بيابی

y-ʾ-b → “they may find” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

بر

b-r-r → “upon”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

هدايت

h-d-y → “guide”

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

همّت

h-m-m → “endeavor”

literal: them (feminine or general); by them; through them

ندای

n-d-y → “Voice”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

بسمع

s-m-ʿ → “thine inner ear” Distinctive

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

حقيقی

ḥ-q-q

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

بشنو

sh-n-w → “Hearken”

literal: most ugly; most abominable; most heinous

ميفرمايد

f-r-m → “saith”

literal: to say; to decree; to ordain; to command

آه

ʾ-h → “Alas”

literal: alas

لانّ

ʾ-n → “for” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ذلک

dh-l-k → “that” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

ليس

l-y-s → “no”

literal: is not; to be not

مثله

m-th-l → “equal” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

اگر

ʾ-g-r

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

ان

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

جناب

j-n-b → “thou”

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

بانصاف

n-ṣ-f → “fairness”

literal: justice; fairness; equity

نظر

n-ẓ-r → “observe” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

اگاه

ʾ-g-h → “cognizant”

literal: aware; cognizant; informed; apprised; awareness; knowledge; consciousness

شوند

sh-w-d

literal: become; to become; became

النّاصح

n-ṣ-ḥ → “Counsellor”

literal: counsel; advice; admonition

العليم

ʿ-l-m → “All-Knowing”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تجعل

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

نفسک

n-f-s → “thyself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

محرومة

ḥ-r-m → “deprived”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

عن

ʿ-n → “of”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الرّحمة

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

الّتی

ʾ-l-l → “that” Distinctive

literal: who; which/that; which

سبقت

s-b-q → “surpassed”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

الوجود

w-j-d → “created things” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

من

m-n → “from”

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

الغيب

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

الشّهود

sh-h-d → “visible”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

نغمه

n-gh-m → “melodies” Distinctive

literal: melody; tone; note

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

داود

d-w-d → “of his Best-Beloved”

literal: give; grant; bestow; award

يقودنی

q-w-d → “commander” Distinctive

literal: leader/commander; commander, leader; leads

الی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

المدينة

m-d-n → “City”

literal: city; town

المحصّنة

ḥ-ṣ-n → “Strong”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

سجن

s-j-n → “Prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

ناميده

n-ʾ-m → “named”

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

شده

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

دارای

d-ʾ-r → “repository”

literal: veiling; concealment; to have; to possess; to hold

قلعه

q-l-ʿ

literal: fortress, stronghold, castle, citadel

محکم

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

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 ¶