Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §266

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 266 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و قال رسول اللّه - صلّی اللّه عليه و سلّم - من نظر بالبحر عند الزّوال و کبّر اللّه عند الغروب غفر اللّه له ذنوبه و لو کانت مثل رمل عالج و من عدّ اربعين موجة و هو يکبّر اللّه تعالی غفر اللّه له ما تقدّم من ذنبه و ما تأخّر *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Apostle of God - may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him - hath also said: "He that looketh upon the sea at eventide, and saith: ‘God is Most Great!' at sunset, God will forgive his sins, though they be heaped as piles of sand. And he that counteth forty waves, while repeating: ‘God is Most Great!' - exalted be He - God will forgive his sins, both past and future."

Translation Notes

قال

qál q-w-l → “said”

literal: say; said; saying

said 57% hath 12% saith 10% say 7% have 3% answered 3% made 3% doth 2% reply 2% replied 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: He shall say gleaningsGWB §516: your outlay kitab-i-iqanKIQ §145: say to prayers-and-meditationsP&M §278: entreateth tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §5: Verily tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: ‘Call out to tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: And thus proclaimed the-hidden-wordsHW §2: counsel

رسول

rsúl r-s-l → “apostle”

literal: messenger; messengers

apostle 60% messenger 31% apostle?” 2% muḥammad 2% messengers 2% muhammad 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §234: hath sent gleaningsGWB §270: sent and fetched kitab-i-iqanKIQ §221: Muhammad prayers-and-meditationsP&M §311: were sent down tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: of the Messengers the-hidden-wordsHW §71: wafted will-and-testamentW&T §3: transferred epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §171: Apostles

اللّه

al-lh ʾ-l-h → “god”

literal: God; god

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: of God gleaningsGWB §191: God’s kitab-i-iqanKIQ §44: heavenly prayers-and-meditationsP&M §119: my God the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §18: of the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §206: Godhead gleaningsGWB §204: her God

صلّی

ṣllí ṣ-l-y → “blessings”

literal: blessed; bless

may 70% blessings 30%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §260: may the blessings gleaningsGWB §665: be interceding prayers-and-meditationsP&M §224: blessed by epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §261: blessings gleaningsGWB §267: Vouchsafe prayers-and-meditationsP&M §797: are glorified

عليه

ʿlíh ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: upon; on; exalted

upon 40% against 18% hands 8% - 8% unto 8% over 8% above 5% hath 3% overshadoweth 3% body 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §81: above gleaningsGWB §532: to your aid kitab-i-iqanKIQ §223: of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §225: the greatness the-hidden-wordsHW §42: reveal unto thee will-and-testamentW&T §59: upon you epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §143: rest upon gleaningsGWB §572: in the

سلّم

sllm s-l-m → “salutations”

literal: peace; submission; greeted

peace 29% resignation 22% salutations 22% recognized 7% greeting 4% submit 4% safety 4% surrendered 2% heart 2% sane 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §123: the peace gleaningsGWB §679: resigned and submissive kitab-i-iqanKIQ §89: proof prayers-and-meditationsP&M §623: health will-and-testamentW&T §8: wholly resigned epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: peace be upon gleaningsGWB §523: ye deliver kitab-i-iqanKIQ §36: recognized

نظر

nẓr n-ẓ-r → “looketh” Distinctive

literal: look; looking; view

This form usually rendered as “observe”, “beholding”, “because” (98 occurrences)

observe 15% beholding 15% because 11% sight 11% owing 11% consider 7% ponder 7% considering 7% eye 7% reason 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §192: by reason fire-tabletFire §48: looking toward gleaningsGWB §352: them that perceive kitab-i-ahdAhd §5: Most Sublime Vision kitab-i-iqanKIQ §90: wait expecting prayers-and-meditationsP&M §630: to fix his gaze tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: Most Great Beauty the-hidden-wordsHW §93: recall

بالبحر

bálbḥr b-ḥ-r → “upon the sea”

literal: sea; ocean; sea, ocean

SE expanded to “upon the sea”

ocean 55% sea 31% upon 3% black 3% seas 3% most 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: sea for fire-tabletFire §3: Where gleaningsGWB §684: an ocean kitab-i-iqanKIQ §31: billows prayers-and-meditationsP&M §499: Thy billowing oceans tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §6: the crimson seas will-and-testamentW&T §2: Twin epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §121: sea

الزّوال

az-zúál z-w-l → “everlasting” Distinctive

literal: decline

This form usually rendered as “glory”, “declineth”, “eventide” (12 occurrences)

glory 14% declineth 14% eventide 14% everlasting 14% incorruptible 14% noon 14% perisheth 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: declineth not gleaningsGWB §555: be dispelled kitab-i-iqanKIQ §142: immortal prayers-and-meditationsP&M §85: wilt abide the-hidden-wordsHW §85: eternal wealth will-and-testamentW&T §24: may vanish epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: at all times gleaningsGWB §124: continue

کبّر

kbbr k-b-r → “most” Distinctive

literal: greatest; great; greater

This form usually rendered as “pride”, “arrogance”, “saith” (10 occurrences)

pride 29% arrogance 29% saith 14% vainglory 14% vain 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §266: repeating gleaningsGWB §148: do ye swell with pride kitab-i-iqanKIQ §228: greater will-and-testamentW&T §3: the Great City epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §181: Embassy gleaningsGWB §171: abasement kitab-i-iqanKIQ §252: supreme will-and-testamentW&T §7: gravest

الغروب

al-ghrúb gh-r-b → “sunset”

literal: west; stranger; exile

set 43% setting 29% disappearance 14% sunset 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §229: nor of the West fire-tabletFire §18: a foreign land gleaningsGWB §277: is set kitab-i-iqanKIQ §101: or toward the west prayers-and-meditationsP&M §827: O tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §9: banishment tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §51: of exile will-and-testamentW&T §35: my exile

غفر

ghfr gh-f-r → “forgive”

literal: forgiving; forgiveness; forgive

forgive 57% will 29% forgave 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §206: forgiveness fire-tabletFire §35: Forgiver gleaningsGWB §463: forgiven kitab-i-iqanKIQ §153: We ask forgiveness of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §682: O Thou Who forgivest will-and-testamentW&T §13: concourse epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §81: Ever-Forgiving gleaningsGWB §652: My forgiveness

ذنوبه

dhnúbh dh-n-b → “sins”

literal: sin; sins

sins 50% transgressions 25% forgive 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §265: his transgressions gleaningsGWB §650: transgression kitab-i-iqanKIQ §145: forgive sins.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §169: the most sinful the-hidden-wordsHW §50: sinful epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §88: the greatest of sinners gleaningsGWB §256: for their sins kitab-i-iqanKIQ §186: his sin?’

لو

lú l-w → “though”

literal: if

8 occurrences in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §88: If kitab-i-iqanKIQ §19: were prayers-and-meditationsP&M §788: though

مثل

mthl m-th-l → “s p” Distinctive

literal: like; likeness; example

This form usually rendered as “consider”, “such”, “even” (142 occurrences)

consider 20% such 15% even 15% like 11% same 9% instance 9% similar 7% what 6% equal 4% likened 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: Thou art even as gleaningsGWB §471: and those like thee kitab-i-ahdAhd §14: like unto kitab-i-iqanKIQ §226: like it prayers-and-meditationsP&M §336: compare the-hidden-wordsHW §4: image epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §37: as if gleaningsGWB §684: likened

رمل

rml r-m-l → “piles”

literal: sand

1 occurrence in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §266: piles of sand

عدّ

ʿdd ʿ-d-d → “counteth”

literal: numbered; number; capacity

counteth 50% few 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §212: “Prepare gleaningsGWB §330: multiplicity kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: and counteth them kitab-i-iqanKIQ §114: capacity and spiritual receptiveness prayers-and-meditationsP&M §378: years will-and-testamentW&T §7: slanderous epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §266: counteth gleaningsGWB §119: capacity

اربعين

irbʿín ʾ-r-b-ʿ → “forty”

literal: forty

1 occurrence in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: these forty

موجة

mújh m-w-j → “waves”

literal: wave; waves; surge

waves 33% surging 33% surge 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: billows gleaningsGWB §563: rushing of the waters kitab-i-iqanKIQ §31: surge prayers-and-meditationsP&M §353: to surge the-hidden-wordsHW §76: billowing seas epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §196: and gleaningsGWB §62: been proffered kitab-i-iqanKIQ §148: stilled

تعالی

tʿálí ʿ-l-w → “exalted be he”

literal: highest; exalted

SE expanded to “exalted be He”

exalted 39% glorified 30% magnified 11% immeasurably 5% all 5% saith 2% one 2% how 2% far 2% he—“and 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §206: sublime fire-tabletFire §42: highest gleaningsGWB §95: exalted attributes kitab-i-ahdAhd §16: on the kitab-i-iqanKIQ §129: word prayers-and-meditationsP&M §645: Thine all-glorious tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §56: around her the-hidden-wordsHW §30: unto thee

تقدّم

tqddm q-d-m → “past”

literal: ancient; step; eternity

past 67% exalting 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: feet fire-tabletFire §1: the Most Ancient gleaningsGWB §327: Ancient of everlasting days kitab-i-iqanKIQ §239: immortality prayers-and-meditationsP&M §743: presence tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: by His presence the-hidden-wordsHW §119: seek an advantage will-and-testamentW&T §8: submitted

تأخّر

tʾakhkhr ʾ-kh-r → “future”

literal: lastness; end; finally

end 18% “last” 18% future 12% finally 12% last 12% declining 6% other 6% new 6% postponed 6% again 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §79: again gleaningsGWB §540: more kitab-i-iqanKIQ §7: At last prayers-and-meditationsP&M §774: Thine own Lastness the-hidden-wordsHW §96: While there is yet epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §237: in the end gleaningsGWB §471: time.”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §261: world to come

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

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729 ¶

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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858 ¶

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17 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶