Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §75

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 75 of 268.

Source (Persian)

* از اين مقام هم گذشته چرا مقامات ديگر را که از قلم ابهی نازل ذکر ننموده‌اند * لسان مظلوم در اکثری از ايّام و ليالی باين کلمات عاليات ناطق *الهی الهی اشهد بوحدانيّتک و فردانيّتک و بانّک انت اللّه لا اله الّا انت لم تزل کنت مقدّسا عن ذکر دونک و ثناء غيرک و لا تزال تکون بمثل ما قد کنت من قبل و من بعد * اسألک يا مالک القدم بالاسم الاعظم و بتجلّيات نيّر ظهورک فی طور البيان و بامواج بحر علمک فی الامکان ان تؤيّدنی علی ما يقرّبنی اليک و يقطعنی عن دونک * و عزّتک يا إله الکائنات و مقصود الممکنات احبّ ان اضع وجهی علی کلّ بقعة من بقاع ارضک لعلّه يتشرّف بمقام تشرّف بقدوم اوليائک

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Aside from this, why is it that thou didst not mention those other stations which the Abhá Pen hath disclosed? The tongue of this Wronged One hath, many a day and night, given utterance to these sublime words: "O God, my God! I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast everlastingly been sanctified above the mention of any one but Thee and the praise of all else except Thyself, and Thou wilt everlastingly continue to be the same as Thou wast from the beginning and hast ever been. I beseech Thee, O King of Eternity, by the Most Great Name, and by the effulgences of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation upon the Sinai of Utterance, and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy knowledge among all created things, to graciously assist Me in that which will draw Me nigh unto Thee, and will detach Me from all except Thee. By Thy glory, O Lord of all being, and the Desire of all creation! I would love to lay My face upon every single spot of Thine earth, that perchance it might be honored by touching a spot ennobled by the footsteps of Thy loved ones!"

Translation Notes

از

ʾ-z → “Aside from”

literal: from

اين

ʾ-y-n → “this”

literal: this; these

مقام

q-w-m → “stations”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

هم

h-m-m

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

گذشته

g-dh-r

literal: to leave; to pass; to abandon

چرا

ch-r-ʾ → “Why should”

literal: why; wherefore

ديگر

d-g-r → “other”

literal: home; place; land; abode

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

که

k-h → “which”

literal: that; who; who, that

قلم

q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

ابهی

b-h-w → “Abhá” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

نازل

n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

ذکر

dh-k-r → “mention”

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

ننموده‌اند

n-m-ʾ → “didst not”

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

لسان

l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; language

مظلوم

ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

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

در

d-r-r

literal: in; in, at; radiant

اکثری

k-th-r → “many”

literal: majority; multitude; abundance; multiplicity

ايّام

y-w-m → “day”

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

ليالی

l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: night; darkness

باين

b-y-n

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

کلمات

k-l-m → “words”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

عاليات

ʿ-l-w → “sublime”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

ناطق

n-ṭ-q → “utterance”

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

*الهی

ʾ-l-h → ““O God”

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

اشهد

sh-h-d → “bear witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بوحدانيّتک

w-ḥ-d → “Thy unity”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

فردانيّتک

f-r-d → “Thy oneness”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

بانّک

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

انت

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

اله

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

الّا

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

لم

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

تزل

z-w-l → “everlastingly”

literal: for us; to us

کنت

k-w-n → “been” Distinctive

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

مقدّسا

q-d-s → “sanctified”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

دونک

d-w-n → “but Thee”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

ثناء

th-n-y → “praise”

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

غيرک

gh-y-r → “Thyself”

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

بمثل

m-th-l → “same as”

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قد

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

من

m-n → “from the”

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

قبل

q-b-l → “before”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

بعد

b-ʿ-d

literal: after; behind; distance

اسألک

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مالک

m-l-k → “King”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

القدم

q-d-m → “Eternity” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

بالاسم

s-m-w → “Name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

الاعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

بتجلّيات

j-l-w → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

نيّر

n-w-r → “Day-Star”

literal: fires; blazes; luminary; celestial body; light-giver

ظهورک

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

طور

ṭ-w-r → “rustling” Distinctive

literal: states; conditions; stages; modes; phases; manner

البيان

b-y-n → “Utterance”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

بامواج

m-w-j → “billows”

literal: wave; billows; surge

بحر

b-ḥ-r → “Ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

علمک

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الامکان

m-k-n → “all created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

ان

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تؤيّدنی

ʾ-y-d → “graciously assist” Distinctive

literal: to support, assist, strengthen, confirm; to support; to assist; to strengthen; to aid; confirmation; support; strengthening

يقرّبنی

q-r-b → “draw Me nigh”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

اليک

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

يقطعنی

q-ṭ-ʿ → “detach”

literal: detachment; detached; severed

عزّتک

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

مقصود

q-ṣ-d → “Desire”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

احبّ

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

اضع

w-ḍ-ʿ → “lay”

literal: place; lowly; put down

وجهی

w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

کلّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: all; every; all, every

بقعة

b-q-ʿ → “spot”

literal: place; spot; ground; locality

ارضک

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

لعلّه

l-ʿ-l → “haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

تشرّف

sh-r-f → “honored”

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

اوليائک

w-l-y → “loved ones”

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

Gleanings

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 ¶