Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §216

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 216 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ اگر نفحات بيان را اقلّ از سمّ ابره بيابی عالم و عالميان را بگذاری و بانوار وجه حضرت مقصود توجّه نمائی * باری در کلمات حضرت روح معانی لا تحصی مستور ذکر امور کثيره فرموده و لکن نظر بعدم وجود سامعين و ناظرين اکثری را ستر نموده چنانچه ميفرمايد [ و لکن لا تستطيعون ان تحتملوا الآن ] * ان مطلع وحی ميفرمايد در ان يوم اخبار بعد را حضرت موعود ذکر ميفرمايد چنانچه در کتاب اقدس و الواح حضرات ملوک و لوح رئيس و لوح فؤاد از قلم اعلی اکثر اموری که در ارض واقع از قبل جاری و نازل گشته *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Shaykh! Wert thou to perceive, be it less than a needle's eye, the breaths of Mine utterance, thou wouldst abandon the world and all that is therein, and wouldst set thy face towards the lights of the countenance of the Desired One. Briefly, in the sayings of Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus) unnumbered significances lie concealed. Unto many things did He refer, but as He found none possessed of a hearing ear or a seeing eye He chose to conceal most of these things. Even as He saith: "But ye cannot bear them now." That Dawning-Place of Revelation saith that on that Day He Who is the Promised One will reveal the things which are to come. Accordingly in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and in the Tablets to the Kings, and in the Lawh-i-Ra'is, and in the Lawh-i-Fu'ad, most of the things which have come to pass on this earth have been announced and prophesied by the Most Sublime Pen.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

شيخ

sh-y-kh → “Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

نفحات

n-f-ḥ → “breaths” Distinctive

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

بيان

b-y-n → “utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

اقلّ

q-l-l → “less”

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

سمّ

s-m-m → “poison”

literal: name; title; designation

ابره

ʾ-b-r

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

بيابی

y-ʾ-b → “they may find” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بگذاری

g-dh-r → “abandon”

literal: to place, to put, to leave, to set, to pass

بانوار

n-w-r → “lights”

literal: light; illumination

وجه

w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His Majesty”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Desired”

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

نمائی

n-m-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

باری

b-r-y → “Briefly”

literal: well; cistern; pit

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

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

روح

r-w-ḥ → “Spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

معانی

ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تحصی

ḥ-ṣ-y → “countless”

literal: unnumbered, innumerable, countless, beyond count; to count; to enumerate; to be reckoned

مستور

s-t-r → “concealed”

literal: to veil; to conceal; to cover; veil; covering

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

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

امور

ʾ-m-r → “things”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

کثيره

k-th-r → “many”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

فرموده

f-r-m → “did He” Distinctive

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

لکن

l-k-n → “but”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

نظر

n-ẓ-r → “eye” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بعدم

ʿ-d-m → “nothingness”

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

وجود

w-j-d → “being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

سامعين

s-m-ʿ → “hearing”

literal: hear; hearing; heard

نموده

n-m-ود → “hath”

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

چنانچه

ch-n-n → “Even as”

literal: thus; in such manner; as

تستطيعون

ṭ-w-ʿ

literal: obedience; obeyed; obedient

ان

ʾ-n → “That”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تحتملوا

ḥ-m-l → “bear”

literal: carry; bearing; endurance

الآن

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

مطلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dawning-Place”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

وحی

w-ḥ-y → “Revelation”

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

يوم

y-w-m → “Day”

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

اخبار

kh-b-r

literal: news; inform; informed

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “to come” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

موعود

w-ʿ-d → “Promised One”

literal: promised; the Promised One

کتاب

k-t-b → “Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

اقدس

q-d-s → “holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

الواح

l-w-ḥ → “Tablets”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

ملوک

m-l-k → “Kings”

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

رئيس

r-ʾ-s → “leadership”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

فؤاد

f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

قلم

q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

اعلی

ʿ-l-w → “Most Sublime” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اکثر

k-th-r → “most”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

که

k-h → “which have”

literal: that; who; who, that

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

واقع

w-q-ʿ → “come to pass”

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

قبل

q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

جاری

j-r-y → “flow”

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

نازل

n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

گشته

g-sh-t

literal: become; became; to become

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 ¶