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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §55

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 55 of 268.

Source (Persian)

کلمه سوم که در ورق سوم فردوس ذکر نموديم اين است * يابن الانسان لو تکون ناظرا الی الفضل ضع ما ينفعک و خذ ما ينتفع به العباد و ان تکن ناظرا الی العدل اختر لدونک ما تختاره لنفسک * انّ الانسان مرّة يرفعه الخضوع الی سماء العزّة و الاقتدار و اخری ينزله الغرور الی مقام الذّلّة و الانکسار * يوم عظيم است و نداء بزرگ * در لوحی از الواح اين کلمه عليا را ذکر نموديم * اگر عالم روح بتمامه بقوّه سامعه تبديل شود ميتوان گفت لائق اصغاء اين نداء است که از افق اعلی مرتفع و الّا اين اذانهای الوده بقصص کاذبه لائق نبوده و نيست طوبی للسّامعين و ويل للغافلين *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The third word we have recorded on the third leaf of Paradise is this: "O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation. Great is the Day, and mighty the Call! In one of Our Tablets We have revealed these exalted words: ‘Were the world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they now, fit to hear it.' Well is it with them that hearken; and woe betide the wayward."

Translation Notes

تکون
tkún k-w-n “be”

literal: be; to be

SE rendered يابن (yábn)الانسان (an-nsán)لو (lú)تکون (tkún)ناظرا (náẓrá)الفضل (al-fḍl)ضع (ḍʿ)ينفعک (ynfʿk) as “"O son of man, If, be, turned, mercy, forsake, profit thee”

thou 40% wilt 17% art 10% remain 10% might 7% numbered 3% who 3% mightest 3% mayest 3% patiently 3%
مرّة
mrrh m-r-r

literal: pass; passed

SE rendered تختاره (tkhtárh)لنفسک (lnfsk)الانسان (an-nsán)مرّة (mrrh)يرفعه (yrfʿh)الخضوع (al-khḍúʿ)سماء (smáʾ)العزّة (al-ʿzzh) as “choosest, for thyself, man, exalteth, Humility, the heaven, glory”

one 25% once 17% again 17% utterly 13% another 8% “again 4% subsequent 4% battles 4% passed 4% totally 4%
اخری

literal: other

SE rendered سماء (smáʾ)العزّة (al-ʿzzh)الاقتدار (al-áqtdár)اخری (ikhrí)ينزله (ynzlh)الغرور (al-ghrúr)مقام (mqám)الذّلّة (adh-dhllh) as “the heaven, glory, power, abaseth, pride, the depths of, wretchedness”

other 22% another 22% again 22% ensuing 11% subsequent 11% latter 11%
ميتوان

literal: can; can, be able

SE expanded to “could then claim”

could 67% can 33%
گفت
gft g-f-t

literal: say; to say; said

SE rendered بقوّه (bqúqh)سامعه (sámʿh)تبديل (tbdíl)ميتوان (mítúán)گفت (gft)لائق (láʾq)اصغاء (iṣgháʾ)نداء (ndáʾ)از (iz) as “the sense of, hearing, converted, could then claim, worthy, hearken, Voice, from”

said 23% say 23% spoken 8% state 8% hath 8% maintain 8% expounded 8% motive 8% given 8%
الوده

literal: defiled

2 occurrences in corpus

کاذبه
kádhbh k-dh-b

literal: liar; falsehood

SE rendered اذانهای (idhánháy)الوده (al-wdh)بقصص (bqṣṣ)کاذبه (kádhbh)لائق (láʾq)نبوده (nbúdh)نيست (níst)طوبی (ṭúbí)للسّامعين (llssámʿín) as “ears, defiled, with lying tales, fit, have never been, nor are they now, Well is it with, hearken”

false 40% lying 20% liar 20% imposter 20%

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

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