Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §229

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 229 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين ميفرمايد [ بقدر اسم مؤمن هم در حقّ ان شجره لا شرقيّه و لا غربيّه راضی نميشوند چه اگر راضی شوند حزن بر او وارد نمياورند ] انتهی * يا اذن عالم ايا شنيدی بچه عجز اين بيانات از مشرق اراده مطلع اسماء ظاهر گشته ؟ ميفرمايد کلّ را تربيت نمودم از برای عرفان اين ظهور و لکن اهل بيان بقدر اسم مؤمن هم در حقّ ان سدره مبارکه لا شرقيّه و لا غربيّه راضی نميشوند * آه آه عمّا ورد علی نفسی لعمر اللّه قد ورد عَلَیَّ من الّذی ربّيته فی اللّيالي و الايّام ما ناح به روح القدس و اهل خباء عظمة اللّه مالک هذا اليوم البديع *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And likewise, He saith: "They will even refuse unto that Tree, which is neither of the East nor of the West, the name believer, for were they so to name Him, they would fail to sadden Him." Hath thine ear, O world, heard with what helplessness these words were revealed from the dayspring of the will of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of all names? He saith: "I have educated all men, that they may recognize this Revelation, and yet the people of the Bayán refuse to concede even the name believer to that blessed Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West." Alas, alas, for the things which have befallen Me! By God! There befell Me at the hands of him whom I have nurtured (Mírzá Yaḥyá), by day and by night, what hath caused the Holy Spirit, and the dwellers of the Tabernacle of the Grandeur of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day, to lament.

Translation Notes

همچنين

ch-n-n → “likewise”

literal: always; ever; forever; at all times; constantly

ميفرمايد

f-r-m → “He saith”

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

بقدر

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

اسم

s-m-w → “name”

literal: name; title; designation

مؤمن

ʾ-m-n → “believer”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

حقّ

ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

ان

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شجره

sh-j-r → “tree”

literal: tree

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

شرقيّه

sh-r-q → “neither of the East”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

غربيّه

gh-r-b → “nor of the West”

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

راضی

r-ḍ-y → “good-pleasure” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

نميشوند

sh-w-d → ““They will even refuse”

literal: to not become; to not be

چه

ch-h → “for”

literal: how; by what means; with what

اگر

ʾ-g-r → “were they”

literal: although; even if; though; notwithstanding

حزن

ḥ-z-n → “sorrow”

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish; to grieve; to sorrow; to be sad

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

او

h-w-w → “is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

نمياورند

ʾ-w-r

literal: wandering; vagabond; homeless

انتهی

n-h-y

literal: end, limit, utmost, extreme; final; the end, limit, utmost bound; Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing; end; limit; terminus

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

اذن

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

ايا

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: does; is it that (interrogative particle); sign; verse; O! (vocative particle); him; them (object pronoun)

شنيدی

sh-n-w → “heard”

literal: most ugly; most abominable; most heinous

عجز

ʿ-j-z → “helplessness”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

بيانات

b-y-n → “these words” Distinctive

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

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

اراده

r-w-d → “will”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

مطلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dawning-Place”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “revealed”

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

گشته

g-sh-t → “were”

literal: become; became; to become

کلّ

k-l-l → “all men”

literal: for us; to us

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

تربيت

r-b-y → “education”

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

نمودم

n-m-w → ““I have”

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

برای

b-r-y

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

عرفان

ʿ-r-f → “recognize”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

لکن

l-k-n → “yet”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

اهل

ʾ-h-l → “people of the Bayán”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

سدره

s-d-r → “Tree”

literal: lote-tree; divine tree

مبارکه

b-r-k → “blessed”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful

آه

ʾ-h → “Alas”

literal: alas

عمّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

ورد

w-r-d → “which have befallen”

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

علی

ʿ-l-w → “Me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

نفسی

n-f-s → “Me” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

لعمر

ʿ-m-r → “By God”

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “By God”

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

قد

q-d

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

من

m-n → “at the hands of”

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

الّذی

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

ربّيته

r-b-b → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: connection; attachment; link; bond

فی

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

اللّيالي

l-y-l → “by day and by night”

literal: night; darkness

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

ناح

n-w-ḥ → “lament”

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

به

b-h → “to”

literal: by it; by him; with it

روح

r-w-ḥ → “Holy Spirit”

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

القدس

q-d-s → “the Holy Spirit”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

خباء

kh-b-ʾ → “of the Tabernacle”

literal: to hide; to conceal; tent; pavilion; chamber; tabernacle; hiding place

عظمة

ʿ-ẓ-m → “of the Grandeur” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

مالک

m-l-k → “Lord”

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

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “of this”

literal: this; that

اليوم

y-w-m → “Day”

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

البديع

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

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 ¶