Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §267

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 267 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و قال رسول اللّه - صلّی اللّه عليه و سلّم - من نظر الی البحر ليلة کاملة کان افضل من شهرين کاملين بين الرّکن و المقام * و من تربّی فی السّواحل خير ممّن تربّی فی غيرها * و النّائم فی السّواحل کالقائم فی غيرها انتهی

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Apostle of God - may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him - hath said: "He that looketh upon the sea a full night is better than he who passeth two whole months betwixt the Rukn and the Maqam. And he that hath been brought up on the shores of the sea is better than he that hath been brought up elsewhere. And he that lieth on the shore is as he that standeth elsewhere."

Translation Notes

قال

q-w-l → “said”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

رسول

r-s-l → “Apostle”

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

صلّی

ṣ-l-y → “blessings”

literal: blessings; prayers; salutations

عليه

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سلّم

s-l-m → “salutations”

literal: resignation; submission; surrender; submissiveness

من

m-n → “from”

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

نظر

n-ẓ-r → “looketh” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

الی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

البحر

b-ḥ-r → “sea”

literal: sea; ocean

ليلة

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

کاملة

k-m-l → “utmost” Distinctive

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

کان

k-w-n → “is”

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

افضل

f-ḍ-l → “better”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

شهرين

sh-h-r → “two whole months”

literal: city; month; fame, renown

کاملين

k-m-l

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

بين

b-y-n → “betwixt” Distinctive

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

الرّکن

r-k-n → “the foundations”

literal: pillar; cornerstone; support; fundamental element; limb; member

المقام

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

تربّی

r-b-y → “education” Distinctive

literal: education; training; was-raised

فی

f-y → “on” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

السّواحل

s-w-ḥ → “shores”

literal: shore; coast; beach

خير

kh-y-r → “better”

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

غيرها

gh-y-r → “elsewhere”

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

النّائم

n-w-m → “slumber” Distinctive

literal: sleep; sleeping; name

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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858 ¶

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Tablet of Carmel

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59 ¶