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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §34

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 34 of 268.

Source (Persian)

و در ايّام و ليالی در سجن مذکور در اعمال و احوال و حرکات حزب بابی تفکّر مينموديم که مع علوّ و سموّ و ادراک ان حزب ايا چه شده که از ايشان چنين عملی ظاهر يعنی جسارت و حرکت ان حزب نسبت بذات شاهانه * و بعد اين مظلوم اراده نمود که بعد از خروج از سجن بتمام همّت در تهذيب ان نفوس قيام نمايد *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Day and night, while confined in that dungeon, We meditated upon the deeds, the condition, and the conduct of the Bábís, wondering what could have led a people so high-minded, so noble, and of such intelligence, to perpetrate such an audacious and outrageous act against the person of His Majesty. This Wronged One, thereupon, decided to arise, after His release from prison, and undertake, with the utmost vigor, the task of regenerating this people.

Translation Notes

در
d-r-r → “in”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

ايّام
y-w-m → “Day”

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

ليالی
l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: night; darkness

سجن
s-j-n → “dungeon” Distinctive

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

مذکور
dh-k-r → “that” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

اعمال
ʿ-m-l → “deeds”

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

احوال
ḥ-w-l → “condition”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

حرکات
ḥ-r-k → “move” Distinctive

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

حزب
ḥ-z-b → “people”

literal: party; people; community

بابی
b-w-b → “door”

literal: door; gate; opening; chapter; way

تفکّر
f-k-r → “meditated”

literal: thoughts; ideas; fancies; opinions; to think; to reflect; to contemplate

مينموديم
n-m-w → “have” Distinctive

literal: to appear; to show; to display; to exhibit

که
k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

مع
m-ʿ

literal: with; together with; alongside

علوّ
ʿ-l-w → “high-minded” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سموّ
s-m-w → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: heaven; sky

ادراک
d-r-k → “comprehend”

literal: to overtake; to catch; to reach; to attain; to perceive; to comprehend

ان
ʾ-n → “the”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ايا
ʾ-y-y

literal: does; is it that (interrogative particle); sign; verse; O! (vocative particle); him; them (object pronoun)

چه
ch-h → “For”

literal: what; what/for; whatsoever, that which

شده
sh-d

literal: to become; to be

از
ʾ-z → “of”

literal: from

ايشان
ʾ-y-sh

literal: that; it (object pronoun with suffix)

چنين
ch-n-n → “likewise” Distinctive

literal: such; thus; in this manner; like this

ظاهر
ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

يعنی
ʿ-n-y

literal: that is; meaning; i.e.

جسارت
j-s-r → “audacious”

literal: daring; bold; audacious; emboldened

حرکت
ḥ-r-k

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

نسبت
n-s-b → “relationship”

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

بذات
dh-w-t → “Essence”

literal: essence, self, being, substance; with preposition ‘by’

شاهانه
sh-ʾ-h → “His Majesty”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بعد
b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

اين
ʾ-y-n → “This”

literal: this; these

مظلوم
ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

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

اراده
r-w-d → “desire”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

نمود
n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

خروج
kh-r-j → “banished” Distinctive

literal: bringing out, taking out, expulsion, extraction

بتمام
t-m-m → “all”

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

همّت
h-m-m → “endeavor”

literal: them (feminine or general); by them; through them

تهذيب
h-dh-b → “edify”

literal: refinement; polishing; edification; edifying; cultivation

نفوس
n-f-s → “souls”

literal: self; soul; psyche

قيام
q-w-m → “arise”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

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

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