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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §28

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 28 of 268.

Source (Persian)

امّا علمائيکه فی الحقيقه بطراز علم و اخلاق مزيّنند ايشان بمثابه راسند از برای هيکل عالم و مانند بصرند از برای امم لازال هدايت عباد بان نفوس مقدّسه بوده و هست * نسأل اللّه ان يوفّقهم علی ما يحبّ و يرضی انّه هو مولی الوری و ربّ الآخرة و الاولی *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Those divines, however, who are truly adorned with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times, been, and is, dependent upon such blessed souls. We beseech God to graciously aid them to do His will and pleasure. He, in truth, is the Lord of all men, the Lord of this world and of the next.

Translation Notes

امّا
ʾ-m-m → “nations” Distinctive

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

علمائيکه
ʿ-l-m → “divines”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

فی
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

الحقيقه
ḥ-q-q → “truth”

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

بطراز
ṭ-r-z → “with the ornament of”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

اخلاق
kh-l-q → “character”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

مزيّنند
z-y-n → “adorned”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty

ايشان
ʾ-y-sh

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

بمثابه
m-th-l → “as”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

راسند
r-ʾ-s → “head”

literal: secret; mystery; whisper

از
ʾ-z → “to” Distinctive

literal: from

برای
b-r-y → “of the” Distinctive

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

هيکل
h-y-k-l → “form”

literal: temple; structure; form; body

مانند
m-ʾ-n → “remain”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

بصرند
b-ṣ-r

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

امم
ʾ-m-m

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

لازال
z-w-l → “at all times”

literal: necessary, incumbent, obligatory, essential

هدايت
h-d-y → “guidance”

literal: guidance; to guide; direction; leading rightly; this; this one

عباد
ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

بان
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

نفوس
n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مقدّسه
q-d-s → “blessed” Distinctive

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

بوده
b-w-d → “been”

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

هست
h-s-t → “is” Distinctive

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

نسأل
s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: question; problem; issue; matter; asking; petition; request

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

ان
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يوفّقهم
w-f-q → “aid”

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

علی
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

يحبّ
ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

يرضی
r-ḍ-y → “pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

انّه
ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; moment

هو
h-w → “He”

literal: He; He is

مولی
w-l-y → “Lord”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

الوری
w-r-y → “all men”

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

ربّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

الآخرة
ʾ-kh-r → “next”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

الاولی
ʾ-w-l → “this world”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

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

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