Skip to main content

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §256

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 256 of 268.

Source (Persian)

قدری در عصمت نقطه اولی تفکّر کن ملاحظه نما چه ظاهر گشته * وقتيکه اين مظلوم از هجرت دو ساله که در صحاری و جبال سالک بود و بسبب بعضی از نفوس که مدّتها در بيابانها دويدند رجوع بدار السّلام نمود ميرزا محمّد علی نامی رشتی بحضور امد و امام جمعی بکلمه ای نطق نمود درباره عصمت ان حضرت که فی الحقيقه حزن جميع اقطار را اخذ نمود * سبحان اللّه چگونه راضی شدند که باين خيانت اعظم تمسّک جستند * باری از حقّ ميطلبيم که عامل را توفيق بخشد بر توبه و انابه * انّه هو المؤيّد الحکيم *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Reflect a while upon the dishonor inflicted upon the Primal Point. Consider what hath happened. When this Wronged One, after a retirement of two years during which He wandered through the deserts and mountains, returned to Baghdád, as a result of the intervention of a few, who for a long time had sought Him in the wilderness, a certain Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí of Rasht came to see Him, and related, before a large gathering of people, that which had been done, affecting the honor of the Báb, which hath truly overwhelmed all lands with sorrow. Great God! How could they have countenanced this most grievous betrayal? Briefly, We beseech God to aid the perpetrator of this deed to repent, and return unto Him. He, verily, is the Helper, the All-Wise.

Translation Notes

اولی
iwlí ʾ-w-l

literal: first; firstness

SE rendered قدری (qdrí), عصمت (ʿṣmt), نقطه (nqṭh), اولی (iwlí), تفکّر (tfkkr), کن (kn), ملاحظه (mláḥẓh), نما (nmá), چه (chh), ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “Reflect a while, dishonor, Primal Point, been, Consider, hath, what, hath happened”

world 37% primal 24% first 7% ye 6% life 6% all 6% early 4% more 4% people 4% former 4%
تفکّر
tfkkr f-k-r

literal: reflection; reflect

SE rendered قدری (qdrí), عصمت (ʿṣmt), نقطه (nqṭh), اولی (iwlí), تفکّر (tfkkr), کن (kn), ملاحظه (mláḥẓh), نما (nmá), چه (chh), ظاهر (ẓáhr) as “Reflect a while, dishonor, Primal Point, been, Consider, hath, what, hath happened”

گشته
gshth gshtn

literal: become; became; to become

SE rendered کن (kn), ملاحظه (mláḥẓh), نما (nmá), چه (chh), ظاهر (ẓáhr), گشته (gshth), وقتيکه (wqtíkh), مظلوم (mẓlúm), از (iz), هجرت (hjrt), دو (dú) as “been, Consider, hath, what, hath happened, When, Wronged One, after, retirement, two”

نفوس
nfús n-f-s

literal: soul; souls

SE rendered جبال (jbál), سالک (sálk), بسبب (bsbb), بعضی (bʿḍí), از (iz), نفوس (nfús), مدّتها (mddthá), بيابانها (bíábánhá), دويدند (dúydnd) as “mountains, wandered, as a result of, a few, for a long time, wilderness, sought”

souls 58% men 14% people 6% soul 6% beings 4% ones 3% every 3% heart 3% character 1% faithful 1%
بيابانها
bíábánhá b-y-b → “door” Distinctive

literal: wilderness; door

This form usually rendered as “wilderness” (1 occurrences)

door 50% wilderness 50%
بدار
bdár dáshtn

literal: have; to have; had

SE rendered مدّتها (mddthá), بيابانها (bíábánhá), دويدند (dúydnd), رجوع (rjúʿ), بدار (bdár), السّلام (as-slám), نمود (nmúd), ميرزا (mírzá), محمّد (mḥmmd) as “for a long time, wilderness, sought, returned, Baghdád, Mírzá, Muḥammad-‘Alí”

hath 33% have 26% beyond 7% repository 7% never 7% can 4% should 4% shall 4% thou 4% did 4%
نمود
nmúd nmúdn

literal: do; to do; show

SE rendered بيابانها (bíábánhá), دويدند (dúydnd), رجوع (rjúʿ), بدار (bdár), السّلام (as-slám), نمود (nmúd), ميرزا (mírzá), محمّد (mḥmmd), نامی (námí), رشتی (rshtí) as “wilderness, sought, returned, Baghdád, Mírzá, Muḥammad-‘Alí, Rasht”

hath 44% have 26% had 12% made 3% caused 3% laid 2% chose 2% fulfill 2% hast 2% make 2%
نامی
námí n-w-m

literal: sleep; sleeping; sleep/slumber

SE rendered السّلام (as-slám), نمود (nmúd), ميرزا (mírzá), محمّد (mḥmmd), نامی (námí), رشتی (rshtí), بحضور (bḥḍúr), امد (imd), امام (imám), جمعی (jmʿí) as “Baghdád, Mírzá, Muḥammad-‘Alí, Rasht, came to see Him, before, a large gathering”

sleep 39% slumber 26% dream 6% sleeping 6% sleepeth 6% lieth 3% mankind 3% fast 3% state 3% man 3%
امد
imd ámdn

literal: come; came; to come

SE rendered ميرزا (mírzá), محمّد (mḥmmd), نامی (námí), رشتی (rshtí), بحضور (bḥḍúr), امد (imd), امام (imám), جمعی (jmʿí), بکلمه (bklmh), نطق (nṭq) as “Mírzá, Muḥammad-‘Alí, Rasht, came to see Him, before, a large gathering, related”

came 21% come 16% hath 16% turned 11% now 11% appeared 5% befallen 5% arose 5% approaching 5% made 5%
بکلمه
bklmh k-l-m

literal: word; words

SE rendered رشتی (rshtí), بحضور (bḥḍúr), امد (imd), امام (imám), جمعی (jmʿí), بکلمه (bklmh), نطق (nṭq), نمود (nmúd), درباره (drbárh), عصمت (ʿṣmt) as “Rasht, came to see Him, before, a large gathering, related, affecting, honor”

word 54% words 23% through 10% one 6% statement 2% single 2% sayings 1% idle 1% certain 1% divinity 1%
اللّه
al-lh ʾ-l-h

literal: god; divine; o god

SE rendered اقطار (iqṭár), اخذ (ikhdh), نمود (nmúd), سبحان (sbḥán), اللّه (al-lh), چگونه (chgúnh), راضی (ráḍí), شدند (shdnd), باين (báyn), خيانت (khíánt) as “lands, overwhelmed, Great God, How, countenanced, could they have, this most grievous, betrayal”

god 93% god’s 2% lord 1% divine 1% almighty 1% “god 1% god.” 0% unto 0% towards 0% \‘god 0%
اعظم
iʿẓm ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; great; greatness

SE rendered چگونه (chgúnh), راضی (ráḍí), شدند (shdnd), باين (báyn), خيانت (khíánt), اعظم (iʿẓm), تمسّک (tmssk), جستند (jstnd), باری (bárí), از (iz), حقّ (ḥqq) as “How, countenanced, could they have, this most grievous, betrayal, Briefly, God”

تمسّک
tmssk m-s-k

literal: clinging; hold fast; cling

SE rendered راضی (ráḍí), شدند (shdnd), باين (báyn), خيانت (khíánt), اعظم (iʿẓm), تمسّک (tmssk), جستند (jstnd), باری (bárí), از (iz), حقّ (ḥqq), ميطلبيم (míṭlbím) as “countenanced, could they have, this most grievous, betrayal, Briefly, God, beseech”

cleave 30% clung 21% cling 10% cleaveth 8% hold 8% take 7% lay 5% clinging 5% have 3% seized 3%
جستند
jstnd jstn

literal: seek; sought; to seek

SE rendered شدند (shdnd), باين (báyn), خيانت (khíánt), اعظم (iʿẓm), تمسّک (tmssk), جستند (jstnd), باری (bárí), از (iz), حقّ (ḥqq), ميطلبيم (míṭlbím), عامل (ʿáml) as “could they have, this most grievous, betrayal, Briefly, God, beseech, the perpetrator”

have 33% fill 33% turned 33%
بخشد
bkhshd bkhshídn

literal: bestow

SE rendered حقّ (ḥqq), ميطلبيم (míṭlbím), عامل (ʿáml), توفيق (túfíq), بخشد (bkhshd), بر (br), توبه (túbh), انابه (inábh) as “God, beseech, the perpetrator, aid, upon, repent, return”

bestoweth 43% bestow 29% succor 14% succour 14%
انابه
inábh ʾ-n-b → “return”

literal: returning

1 occurrence in corpus

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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 ¶