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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §8

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 8 of 268.

Source (Persian)

اسالک فی هذا الحين باسرار کتابک و ما کان مکنونا فی علمک و باللّئالئ المستورة فی اصداف عمان رحمتک ان تجعلني من الّذين ذکرتهم فی کتابک و وصفتهم فی الواحک * هل قدّرت لی يا الهی بعد هذا الحزن من سرور و بعد هذا القبض من بسط و بعد هذا العسر من يسر فآه آه قد جعلت المنابر لذکرک و ارتفاع کلمتک و اظهار امرک و انّی ارتقيت اليها لاعلاء نقض عهدک و القيت علی العباد ما ناح به اهل سرادق عظمتک و سکّان مدائن علمک * کم من اوقات انزلت فيها مائدة بيانک من سماء عطائک و انّی کفرت بها و کم من احيان دعوتنی فيها الی فرات رحمتک و انّی اعرضت عنه بما اتّبعت النّفس و الهوی * و عزّتک لم ادر من ایّ ذنب استغفرک و اتوب اليک و من ايّ ظلم ارجع الی بساط جودک و ساحة کرمک قد بلغت جريراتی و خطيئاتی مقاما عجز المحصون عن احصائها و المحرّرون عن تحريرها * اسألک يا مبدّل الظّلمة بالنّور و مظهر الاسرار فی الطّور ايّدنی فی کلّ الاحوال علی التّوکّل عليک و تفويض الامور اليک * ثمّ اجعلني يا الهی راضيا بما رقم من قلم قضائک و يراعة تقديرک انّک انت المقتدر علی ما تشاء و فی قبضتک زمام من فی السّموات و الارضين لا اله الّا انت العليم الحکيم *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

"I beseech Thee, this very moment, by the mysteries of Thy Book, and by the things hid in Thy knowledge, and by the pearls that lie concealed within the shells of the ocean of Thy mercy, to reckon me among such as Thou didst mention in Thy Book and describe in Thy Tablets. Hast Thou decreed for me, O my God, any joy after this tribulation, or any relief to succeed this affliction, or any ease to follow this trouble? Alas, alas! Thou hast ordained that every pulpit be set apart for Thy mention, and for the glorification of Thy Word, and the revelation of Thy Cause, but I have ascended it to proclaim the violation of Thy Covenant, and have spoken unto Thy servants such words as have caused the dwellers of the Tabernacles of Thy majesty and the denizens of the Cities of Thy wisdom to lament. How often hast Thou sent down the food of Thine utterance out of the heaven of Thy bounty, and I denied it; and how numerous the occasions on which Thou hast summoned me to the soft flowing waters of Thy mercy, and I have chosen to turn away therefrom, by reason of my having followed my own wish and desire! By Thy glory! I know not for which sin to beg Thy forgiveness and implore Thy pardon, nor from which of mine iniquities to turn aside unto the Court of Thy bounteousness and the Sanctuary of Thy favor. Such are my sins and trespasses that no man can number them, nor pen describe them. I implore Thee, O Thou that turnest darkness into light, and revealest Thy mysteries on the Sinai of Thy Revelation, to aid me, at all times, to put my trust in Thee, and to commit mine affairs unto Thy care. Make me, then, O my God, content with that which the finger of Thy decree hath traced, and the pen of Thy ordinance hath written. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that are in heaven and on earth. No God is there but Thee, the All-knowing, the All-Wise."

Translation Notes

اوقات
iwqát w-q-t

literal: time; appointed time; appointed-time

SE rendered سکّان (skkán), مدائن (mdáʾn), علمک (ʿlmk), کم (km), اوقات (iwqát), انزلت (inzlt), مائدة (máʾdh), بيانک (bíánk) as “the denizens, of the Cities, of Thy wisdom, How often, hast Thou sent down, the food, of Thine utterance”

moments 25% times 25% time 25% one 25%
بلغت
blght b-l-gh

literal: reach; reached; attainment

SE rendered بساط (bsáṭ), جودک (júdk), ساحة (sáḥh), کرمک (krmk), بلغت (blght), جريراتی (jrírátí), خطيئاتی (khṭíʾátí) as “the Court, of Thy bounteousness, the Sanctuary, of Thy favor, my sins, trespasses”

reached 43% hath 29% such 14% attain 14%
مقاما
mqámá q-w-m

literal: station; place

SE rendered جريراتی (jrírátí), خطيئاتی (khṭíʾátí), مقاما (mqámá), عجز (ʿjz), المحصون (al-mḥṣún), احصائها (iḥṣáʾhá) as “my sins, trespasses, number”

station 58% connection 10% such 7% place 5% seat 5% spot 4% passage 3% heights 3% position 2% respect 2%
عجز
ʿjz ʿ-j-z

literal: unable; powerlessness

SE rendered جريراتی (jrírátí), خطيئاتی (khṭíʾátí), مقاما (mqámá), عجز (ʿjz), المحصون (al-mḥṣún), احصائها (iḥṣáʾhá), المحرّرون (al-mḥrrrún) as “my sins, trespasses, number, pen”

رقم
rqm r-q-m

literal: inscribe; inscribed

SE rendered اجعلني (ijʿlní), الهی (al-hí), راضيا (ráḍíá), رقم (rqm), قلم (qlm), قضائک (qḍáʾk), يراعة (yráʿh) as “Make, O my God, content, the pen, decree, of Thy ordinance hath written”

hath 50% decreed 13% inscribed 13% irrevocably 13% laid 13%
يراعة
yráʿh y-r-ʿ → “pen”

literal: pen

1 occurrence in corpus

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

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