Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §230

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 230 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و همچنين ردّا لبعضی از معرضين ميفرمايد [ چه کسی عالم بظهور نيست غير اللّه هر وقت شود بايد کلّ تصديق بنقطه حقيقت نمايند و شکر الهی بجای اورند ] انتهی * معرضين بمثابه امّت يحيی تکلّم نمودند چه که ان نفوس هم بر حضرت روح اعتراض کردند که شريعت يحيی تمام نشد تو از برای چه امدی * حال هم معرضين مع انکه ابدا با ما نبودند و اطّلاع از اصل امر نداشته و ندارند که از که بوده و چه بوده گفته‌اند انچه را که اشياء کلّها بنوحه و ندبه مشغول * لعمری انّ الاخرس لا يقدر ان يقوم امام ملکوت البيان * اتّقوا اللّه يا قوم ثمّ اقراوا ما نزّل بالحقّ فی الباب الثّامن من الواحد السّادس من البيان و لا تکونوا من المعرضين * و همچنين امر فرموده [ که در هر نوزده روز يکدفعه در اين باب نظر کنند لعلّ در ظهور من يظهره اللّه محتجب نشوند بشئونی دون شان آيات که اعظم حجج و براهين بوده و هست ] انتهی *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Likewise, refuting certain disbelievers, He saith: "For none knoweth the time of the Revelation except God. Whenever it appeareth, all must acknowledge the Point of Truth, and render thanks unto God." They that have turned aside from Me have spoken even as the followers of John (the Baptist) spoke. For they, too, protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: "The dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?" Now, too, they that have repudiated Us, though they have never known Us and have been at all times ignorant of the fundamentals of this Cause, knowing not from Whom it proceeded or what it signifieth, have spoken that which hath made all created things to sigh and lament. By My life! The mute can never confront the One Who incarnateth in Himself the kingdom of utterance. Fear God, O people, and peruse, then, that which hath been sent down with truth in the eighth Chapter of the sixth Vahid of the Bayán, and be not of such as have turned aside. He, likewise, hath commanded: "Once every nineteen days this Chapter should be read, that haply they may not be veiled, in the time of the revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, by considerations foreign to the verses, which have been, and are still, the weightiest of all proofs and testimonies."

Translation Notes

همچنين

ch-n-n → “Likewise”

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

ردّا

r-d-d → “refuting”

literal: will; desire; intention; volition

لبعضی

b-ʿ-ḍ → “certain”

literal: part; some; portion

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

معرضين

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

ميفرمايد

f-r-m → “He saith”

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

چه

ch-h → “For”

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

کسی

k-s → “him”

literal: someone; anyone; a person

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “knoweth” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بظهور

ẓ-h-r → “time of the Revelation”

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

غير

gh-y-r → “except” Distinctive

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

هر

h-r → “every nineteen”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

وقت

w-q-t

literal: time; occasion; moment; period

شود

sh-w-d → “Whenever it appeareth” Distinctive

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

بايد

b-y-d → “must”

literal: by hand; with hands; eternal; perpetual; everlasting

کلّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

تصديق

ṣ-d-q → “acknowledge”

literal: to confirm; to verify; to acknowledge; to testify to truth

بنقطه

n-q-ṭ → “Point of Truth”

literal: point; dot; spot; region; area

حقيقت

ḥ-q-q → “God” Distinctive

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

نمايند

n-m-ʾ → “may”

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

شکر

sh-k-r → “render thanks”

literal: thankfulness, gratitude; to give thanks, be grateful; manifest; evident; apparent; clear

بجای

j-ʾ-y → “unto”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

اورند

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

بمثابه

m-th-l → “even as”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

امّت

ʾ-m-m → “before” Distinctive

literal: mother

يحيی

ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: life; living; shame

تکلّم

k-l-m → “spoke”

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

نمودند

n-m-ود → “hath” Distinctive

literal: do; to do; do/make

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

ان

ʾ-n → “they, too”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

نفوس

n-f-s → “They” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

بر

b-r-r → “righteous” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Him Who was”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

روح

r-w-ḥ → “Spirit”

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

کردند

k-r-d → “made” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; deed; action; conduct; behavior

شريعت

sh-r-ʿ → ““The dispensation of John” Distinctive

literal: law; legislation; religious law; canon; ordinance

تمام

t-m-m → “all”

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

نشد

sh-d

literal: to become; to occur; to happen; to be

تو

t-w-w → “thou”

literal: you

برای

b-r-y → “wherefore”

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

امدی

ʾ-m-d → “hope”

literal: to come; to go; to arrive; came

حال

ḥ-w-l → “Now, too”

literal: state; condition; circumstance

مع

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ابدا

ʾ-b-d → “never”

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

با

b-ʾ-ʾ

literal: to; with; by

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

اطّلاع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

اصل

ʾ-ṣ-l → “essence”

literal: evening; afternoon; noble; ancient; nightfall; genesis

امر

ʾ-m-r → “hath commanded” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

ندارند

d-ʾ-sh-t → “have been” Distinctive

literal: to have; to possess; to hold

بوده

b-w-d → “is”

literal: is not; not to be; does not exist; negation, denial, banishment; to negate, deny, banish; contradiction; opposition; contrariety

گفته‌اند

g-f-t → “have spoken that which”

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

اشياء

sh-y-ʾ → “all created things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

بنوحه

n-w-ḥ → “to sigh” Distinctive

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

ندبه

n-d-b → “lament”

literal: lamentation; wailing; mourning

مشغول

sh-gh-l

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

لعمری

ʿ-m-r → “By My life”

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

الاخرس

kh-r-s → “The mute”

literal: dumb; mute; unable to speak

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يقدر

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

يقوم

q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

ملکوت

m-l-k → “kingdom of utterance”

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

البيان

b-y-n → “the Bayán”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

اتّقوا

w-q-y → “Fear God”

literal: to fear; to frighten; afraid

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

ثمّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اقراوا

q-r-ʾ → “Read thou” Distinctive

literal: Quran; read; recitation

نزّل

n-z-l → “hath been sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الباب

b-w-b → “door”

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

الثّامن

th-m-n

literal: eight; price; value

من

m-n → “from”

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

الواحد

w-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

السّادس

s-d-s

literal: sixth

تکونوا

k-w-n

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

در

d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

نوزده

n-w-z

literal: to place; to lay down; to set; to submit

روز

r-w-z → “days”

literal: day; today; that-day

يکدفعه

d-f-ʿ

literal: repulsion; repelling; defense

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

نظر

n-ẓ-r → “Consider”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

لعلّ

l-ʿ-l → “that haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

محتجب

ḥ-j-b → “veiled”

literal: to veil oneself, to be veiled

بشئونی

sh-ʾ-n → “this Cause” 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

دون

d-w-n → “except Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

شان

sh-ʾ-n

آيات

ʾ-y-y → “verses”

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

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

حجج

ḥ-j-j → “of all proofs”

literal: path, way; clear path

براهين

b-r-h → “testimonies”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

هست

h-s-t → “are still”

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 ¶