Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §76

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 76 of 268.

Source (Persian)

* لعمر اللّه اوهام عباد را از افق ايقان محروم نموده و ظنون از رحيق مختوم منع کرده * براستی ميگويم و لوجه اللّه ميگويم اين عبد و اين مظلوم شرم دارد خود را بهستی و وجود نسبت دهد تا چه رسد بمقامات فوق ان * انسان بصير هر هنگام بر ارض مشی مينمايد خود را خجل مشاهده ميکند چه که بيقين مبين ميداند که علّت نعمت و ثروت و عزّت و علوّ و سموّ و اقتدار او باذن اللّه ارضی است که تحت جميع اقدام عالم است * و نفسيکه باين مقام اگاه شد البتّه از نخوت و کبر و غرور مقدّس و مبرّاست انچه گفته شد من عند اللّه بوده انّه شهد و يشهد و هو العليم الخبير*

Shoghi Effendi Translation

By the righteousness of God! Idle fancies have debarred men from the Horizon of Certitude, and vain imaginings withheld them from the Choice Sealed Wine. In truth I say, and for the sake of God I declare: This Servant, this Wronged One, is abashed to claim for Himself any existence whatever, how much more those exalted grades of being! Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vainglory. Whatever hath been said hath come from God. Unto this, He, verily, hath borne, and beareth now, witness, and He, in truth, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Translation Notes

لعمر

ʿ-m-r → “By the righteousness”

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

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “of God”

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

اوهام

w-h-m → “Idle fancies”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

عباد

ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

از

ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

افق

ʾ-f-q → “Horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

ايقان

y-q-n → “Certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

محروم

ḥ-r-m → “debarred” Distinctive

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

نموده

n-m-ود → “hath”

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

ظنون

ẓ-n-n → “vain imaginings”

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

رحيق

r-ḥ-q → “Choice Sealed Wine”

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

مختوم

kh-t-m

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

منع

m-n-ʿ → “withheld” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

کرده

k-r-d → “hath”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; deed; action; conduct; behavior

براستی

r-s-t → “In truth”

literal: truth; verily; truly

ميگويم

g-w-y → “I say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

لوجه

w-j-h → “for the sake”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

اين

ʾ-y-n → “This”

literal: this; these

مظلوم

ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One”

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

شرم

sh-r-m → “abashed”

literal: to be ashamed; to feel shame

دارد

d-ʾ-r

literal: to have; to hold; to possess; to maintain

خود

kh-w-d → “Himself”

literal: self; himself; herself; itself; own

بهستی

h-s-t → “is”

literal: existence; being

وجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

نسبت

n-s-b

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

دهد

d-h

literal: to give; to grant; to yield

تا

t-y-y

literal: so that/until

چه

ch-h

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

رسد

r-s-d

literal: Persian verb رسیدن (to arrive/reach), not Arabic ر-س-د

بمقامات

q-w-m → “those exalted grades” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

فوق

f-w-q

literal: above; over; beyond

ان

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

انسان

ʾ-n-s → “Every man”

literal: man; human being; mankind

بصير

b-ṣ-r → “of discernment”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

هر

h-r

literal: whatever; all that; whatever thing

هنگام

h-n-g → “time”

literal: time; when; occasion

بر

b-r-r

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

ارض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

مشی

m-sh-y → “walking upon”

literal: way; manner; gait; to walk; to go; to proceed

مينمايد

n-m-ʾ → “hath” Distinctive

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

خجل

kh-j-l → “shame”

literal: shame; embarrassment; disgrace

مشاهده

sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

مبين

b-y-n

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

ميداند

d-ʾ-n

literal: know; to know; knowledge

علّت

ʿ-l-l → “cause”

literal: for us; to us

نعمت

n-ʿ-m → “prosperity”

literal: bliss; bounty; grace; comfort; felicity

ثروت

th-r-w → “wealth”

literal: wealth, riches, affluence

عزّت

ʿ-z-z → “might”

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

علوّ

ʿ-l-w → “exaltation” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سموّ

s-m-w → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: heaven; sky

اقتدار

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

او

h-w-w → “his”

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

باذن

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

است

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; are (third person plural present copula)

تحت

t-ḥ-t → “beneath”

literal: under; under, beneath; beneath

جميع

j-m-ʿ → “of all”

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

اقدام

q-d-m → “feet”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

عالم

ʿ-l-m → “men” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

نفسيکه

n-f-s → “souls” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; souls

باين

b-y-n → “of this” Distinctive

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

اگاه

ʾ-g-h → “cognizant”

literal: aware; cognizant; informed; apprised; awareness; knowledge; consciousness

شد

sh-d → “is” Distinctive

literal: to become; to be

البتّه

b-t-t → “no doubt”

literal: certainly; certainly, definitely; absolute

نخوت

n-kh-w → “arrogance”

literal: arrogance; pride; haughtiness

کبر

k-b-r → “pride”

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

غرور

gh-r-r → “vainglory”

literal: delusion, deceit; deluded, deceived

مقدّس

q-d-s → “sanctified”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

مبرّاست

b-r-ʾ → “Thy people” Distinctive

literal: creation; Creator; on

گفته

g-f-t → “been said”

literal: utterance; speech; word; discourse

من

m-n → “from”

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

عند

ʿ-n-d

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

انّه

ʾ-n-n → “He, verily”

literal: I, verily; behold I

هو

h-w → “He”

literal: He; He is

الخبير*

kh-b-r → “the All-Informed”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

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 ¶