Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §57

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 57 of 268.

Source (Persian)

در اين اراضی هر هنگام نوبت عسکريّه ميشود از هر جهتی فزع اکبر ظاهر * و هر يک از دول در هر سنه بر عساکر ميافزايد چه که وزرای حرب در اين فقره حريصند و بهل من مزيد ناطق * از قرار مذکور دولت ايران ايّدها اللّه هم اراده نموده‌اند بر عسکر بيافزايند * نزد مظلوم حال صد هزار عسکر منظّم مرتّب کفايت مينمايد * اميد انکه ان حضرت بر نور عدل بيفزايند * لعمر اللّه عدل جنديست قوی اوست در مقام اوّل و رتبه اولی فاتح افئده و قلوب و اوست مبيّن اسرار وجود و دارای رايت محبّت و جود *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

In this land, every time men are conscripted for the army, a great terror seizeth the people. Every nation augmenteth, each year, its forces, for their ministers of war are insatiable in their desire to add fresh recruits to their battalions. We have learned that the government of Persia - may God assist them - have, likewise decided to reinforce their army. In the opinion of this Wronged One a force of one hundred thousand fully-equipped and well-disciplined men would suffice. We hope that thou wilt cause the light of justice to shine more brightly. By the righteousness of God! Justice is a powerful force. It is, above all else, the conqueror of the citadels of the hearts and souls of men, and the revealer of the secrets of the world of being, and the standard-bearer of love and bounty.

Translation Notes

در

d-r-r → “In”

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

اراضی

ʾ-r-ḍ → “land”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

هر

h-r → “every”

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

هنگام

h-n-g → “time”

literal: time; when; occasion

نوبت

n-w-b → “repent” Distinctive

literal: deputy; representative; vicegerent; substitute

عسکريّه

ʿ-s-k-r → “army”

literal: hosts, armies, troops

ميشود

sh-w-d → “be” Distinctive

literal: perhaps, perchance, haply, maybe, possibly; to become; to be; to happen; to occur

از

ʾ-z → “for” Distinctive

literal: from

جهتی

j-h-t

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

فزع

f-z-ʿ → “caused”

literal: to fear; to be terrified; terror, fright

اکبر

k-b-r → “great”

literal: liver; soul; essence

ظاهر

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

يک

y-k → “one”

literal: one; a single

دول

d-w-l → “government”

literal: state; government; dynasty; period of rule; dominion

سنه

s-n-h

literal: year; way; tradition; custom

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ميافزايد

z-y-d → “increase”

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

چه

ch-h

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

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

وزرای

w-z-r → “ministers of war”

literal: minister; vizier

حرب

ḥ-r-b

literal: warfare; combat; fighting; hostility

فقره

f-q-r

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

حريصند

ḥ-r-ṣ → “insatiable”

literal: greedy; eager; insatiable; covetous

بهل

h-l-l

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

من

m-n

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

ناطق

n-ṭ-q

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

قرار

q-r-r

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

مذکور

dh-k-r

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

ايّدها

ʾ-y-d → “God assist”

literal: to support; to assist; to strengthen; to confirm

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

هم

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

اراده

r-w-d → “desire”

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

نموده‌اند

n-m-w → “have learned”

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

عسکر

ʿ-s-k-r → “are” Distinctive

literal: hosts, armies, troops

بيافزايند

f-z-y → “augmenteth” Distinctive

literal: increase

نزد

n-z-d

literal: near; beside; with; in the presence of

مظلوم

ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

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

حال

ḥ-w-l

literal: state; condition; circumstance

صد

ṣ-d → “hundred”

literal: hundred

هزار

h-z-r → “thousand”

literal: thousand

منظّم

n-ẓ-m → “order” Distinctive

literal: order; organized; order, system

مرتّب

r-t-b → “station” Distinctive

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

کفايت

k-f-y → “suffice”

literal: to be content; to suffice; to be satisfied; to be satisfied with

مينمايد

n-m-ʾ → “may” Distinctive

literal: to show, to display, to manifest, to exhibit; to manifest; to display; to show

اميد

ʾ-m-d → “hope”

literal: to remain; to stay; to be left

انکه

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حضرت

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His Majesty”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

نور

n-w-r → “light”

literal: light; illumination

عدل

ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

لعمر

ʿ-m-r → “By the righteousness”

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

جنديست

j-n-d → “hosts” Distinctive

literal: hosts, armies, troops

قوی

q-w-y

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

اوست

h-s-t → “It is”

literal: he; it (third person pronoun); refuge; shelter; dwelling place; abode; lamentation, cry, woe; melody, song

مقام

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

اوّل

ʾ-w-l

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

فاتح

f-t-ḥ → “open”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

افئده

f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

قلوب

q-l-b → “souls” Distinctive

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مبيّن

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

اسرار

s-r-r → “secrets”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

وجود

w-j-d → “world of being”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

دارای

d-ʾ-r → “repository”

literal: veiling; concealment; to have; to possess; to hold

رايت

r-ʾ-y

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

محبّت

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

جود

j-w-d → “bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶