Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §239

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 239 of 268.

Source (Persian)

جميع اين حزب ميدانند که سيّد محمّد يکی از خدّام بوده * در ايّاميکه حسب الخواهش دولت عليّه عثمانی بان شطر توجّه نموديم همراه بوده و بعد از او ظاهر شد انچه که لعمر اللّه قلم اعلی گريست و لوح نوحه نمود لذا طردش نموديم و بميرزا يحيی پيوست و عمل نمود انچه را که هيچ ظالمی ننمود ترکناه و قلنا اخرج يا غافل * بعد از ظهور اين کلمه بمولوی خانه رفته با انها بوده الی ان جاء امر الخروج *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Every one of this people well knoweth that Siyyid Muḥammad was but one of Our servants. In the days when, as requested by the Imperial Ottoman Government, We proceeded to their Capital, he accompanied Us. Subsequently, he committed that which - I swear by God - hath caused the Pen of the Most High to weep and His Tablet to groan. We, therefore, cast him out; whereupon, he joined Mírzá Yaḥyá, and did what no tyrant hath ever done. We abandoned him, and said unto him: "Begone, O heedless one!" After these words had been uttered, he joined the order of the Mawlavis, and remained in their company until the time when We were summoned to depart.

Translation Notes

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “Every”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

حزب

ḥ-z-b → “people”

literal: party; people; community

ميدانند

d-ʾ-n → “well knoweth” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

که

k-h → “that”

literal: that; who; who, that

سيّد

s-y-d → “Siyyid”

literal: master; lord; chief; my master

محمّد

ḥ-m-d → “thanks”

literal: praise; Muhammad; praised

يکی

w-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: one; any; each

از

ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

خدّام

kh-d-m → “serve” Distinctive

literal: service; servitude; to serve

بوده

b-w-d → “was”

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

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ايّاميکه

y-w-m → “days when”

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

حسب

ḥ-s-b → “as”

literal: according to; in accordance with; as regards

الخواهش

kh-w-h → “will” Distinctive

literal: self; own; personal

دولت

d-w-l → “Government”

literal: state; government; dynasty; period of rule; dominion

عليّه

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بان

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

شطر

sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

توجّه

w-j-h → “proceeded” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

همراه

h-m-r-ʾ-h → “accompanied”

literal: together; accompanying; companion

بعد

b-ʿ-d → “Subsequently” Distinctive

literal: after; behind; distance

او

h-w-w → “he” Distinctive

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

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

شد

sh-d

literal: to become; to be

انچه

ʾ-n → “that which”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لعمر

ʿ-m-r → “I swear”

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

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

قلم

q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

اعلی

ʿ-l-w → “Most High”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

گريست

g-r-y → “weep”

literal: to weep; to cry; to lament

لوح

l-w-ḥ → “Tablet”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

نوحه

n-w-ḥ → “groan”

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

نمود

n-m-ʾ → “hath caused”

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

لذا

l-dh-ʾ → “therefore”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

طردش

ṭ-r-d → “cast him out”

literal: expel; drive away; expelled

يحيی

ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: life; living; shame

پيوست

p-y-w → “joined”

literal: join; joined

عمل

ʿ-m-l → “deeds”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

هيچ

h-y-ch → “no”

literal: nothing; any; not a single

ظالمی

ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

ترکناه

t-r-k → “renounce” Distinctive

literal: leave; leave/abandon; abandon

قلنا

q-w-l → “said unto him” Distinctive

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

اخرج

kh-r-j → “banished” Distinctive

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

غافل

gh-f-l → “heedless one”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

کلمه

k-l-m → “words”

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

بمولوی

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

خانه

kh-w-n

literal: house; home; dwelling

رفته

r-f-t → “fled”

literal: to go; to pass; to have gone

با

b-ʾ-ʾ → “in” Distinctive

literal: to; with; by

انها

null → ““death””

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

الی

ʾ-l-y → “until”

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

جاء

j-y-ʾ → “come”

literal: to come; to arrive; to happen

امر

ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

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 ¶