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Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — §9

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 9 of 268.

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ اعلم انّ مفتريات العباد و اعراضهم و اعتراضهم لا تضرّ من تمسّک بحبل العناية و تشبّث باذيال رحمة مالک البريّة لعمر اللّه انّ البهاء ما نطق عن الهوی قد انطقه الّذی انطق الاشياء بذکره و ثنائه لا اله الّا هو الفرد الواحد المقتدر المختار *

Shoghi Effendi Translation

" O Shaykh! Know thou that neither the calumnies which men may utter, nor their denials, nor any cavils they may raise, can harm him that hath clung to the cord of the grace, and seized the hem of the mercy, of the Lord of creation. By God! He, the Glory of God (Bahá), hath spoken not from mere impulse. He that hath given Him a voice is He that hath given a voice unto all things, that they may praise and glorify Him. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Incomparable, the Lord of strength, the Unconditioned.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

شيخ
sh-y-kh → “O Shaykh”

literal: elder; elder/shaykh; sheikh

اعلم
ʿ-l-m → “Know thou”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

انّ
ʾ-n → “that neither”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

مفتريات
f-r-y → “calumnies”

literal: slander; calumny; fabrication; false accusation

العباد
ʿ-b-d → “men”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

اعراضهم
ʿ-r-ḍ → “denials”

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تضرّ
ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

من
m-n → “him that” Distinctive

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

تمسّک
m-s-k → “hath clung”

literal: musk; to seize; grip

بحبل
ḥ-b-l → “cord”

literal: cord; rope; bond; connection

العناية
ʿ-n-y → “the grace”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from

تشبّث
sh-b-th → “clung”

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

باذيال
dh-y-l → “hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

رحمة
r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

مالک
m-l-k → “Lord”

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

البريّة
b-r-ʾ → “Thy people” Distinctive

literal: high; exalted; upper; to adorn; to arrange; to prepare; banners; standards

لعمر
ʿ-m-r → “By God”

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

اللّه
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

البهاء
b-h-w → “the Glory”

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

ما
m-ʾ

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

نطق
n-ṭ-q → “hath spoken”

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

عن
ʿ-n → “not from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الهوی
h-w-y → “desires”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

قد
q-d

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

الّذی
l-dh-y

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

الاشياء
sh-y-ʾ → “all things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

بذکره
dh-k-r → “praise”

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

ثنائه
th-n-y → “glorify”

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy

اله
ʾ-l-h → “other God”

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

الّا
ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

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

هو
h-w → “is”

literal: He; He is

الفرد
f-r-d → “the One”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

الواحد
w-ḥ-d → “the Incomparable”

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

المقتدر
q-d-r → “the Lord” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

المختار
kh-y-r → “the Unconditioned”

literal: west; the western region

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

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