Will and Testament — §10

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 10 of 59.

Source (Persian)

الهی الهی تری عبدک المظلوم بین مخالب سباع ضاریة و ذئاب کاسرة و وحوش خاسرة ربّ وفّقنی فی حبّک علی تجرّع هذه الکأس الطّافحة بصهبآء الوفآء الممتلئة بفیض العطآء حتّی یحمرّ قمیصی بدمی طریحاً علی التّراب صریعاً لا حراک للأعضآء هذا منائی و رجائی و املی و عزّی و علائی ولیکن خاتمة حیاتی ختام مسک یا ربّی و ملاذی و هل من موهبة اعظم من هذا لا وحضرة عزّک و انّی اشهدک انّنی اذوق هذه الکأس فی کلّ الأیّام بما اکتسبت ایدی الّذین نقضوا المیثاق و اعلنوا الشّقاق و اظهروا النّفاق و اظهروا فی الأرض الفساد و ما راعوا حرمتک بین العباد ربّ احفظ حصن دینک المبین من هؤلاء النّاکثین و احرس حماک الحصین من عصبة المارقین انّک انت القویّ المقتدر العزیز المتین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of the chalice that brimmeth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart’s desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end may even as musk shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by Thy Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred sedition in the land and dishonoured Thee amidst Thy servants. Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the Strong.

Translation Notes

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “O”

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

تری

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest”

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

عبدک

ʿ-b-d → “wronged servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

المظلوم

ẓ-l-m

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

بین

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

مخالب

kh-l-b → “clutches”

literal: talons, claws, clutches

سباع

s-b-ʿ → “seventh” Distinctive

literal: lion; wild beast

ضاریة

ḍ-r-y → “ferocious”

literal: ferocious; fierce; preying

ذئاب

dh-ʾ-b → “wolves”

literal: wolf

کاسرة

k-s-r → “degradation” Distinctive

literal: breaking; ravening; destructive

وحوش

w-ḥ-sh → “consternation” Distinctive

literal: fear; terror; dread; desolation

خاسرة

kh-s-r → “loss” Distinctive

literal: loss; ruin; to suffer loss

ربّ

r-b-b → “O Lord”

literal: love; affection

وفّقنی

w-f-q → “Graciously assist” Distinctive

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

حبّک

ḥ-b-b

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

تجرّع

j-r-ʿ → “drink”

literal: to drink; to sip; to swallow

هذه

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الکأس

k-ʾ-s → “the chalice”

literal: cup; chalice; goblet

الطّافحة

ṭ-f-ḥ → “brimmeth over”

literal: overflowing; brimming; full to the brim

بصهبآء

ṣ-h-b

literal: wine; reddish wine; intoxicating drink

الوفآء

w-f-y → “with faithfulness” Distinctive

literal: faithfulness; covenant-keeping; loyalty

الممتلئة

m-l-ʾ → “Celestial Concourse” Distinctive

literal: filled; full; replete; possession, property, ownership

بفیض

f-y-ḍ → “Thy bountiful Grace”

literal: flood; abundance; overflow; emanation; grace; overflowing; emanating; surplus

العطآء

ʿ-ṭ-w → “bounty”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

حتّی

ḥ-t-y → “so that” Distinctive

literal: to be necessary, inevitable; determined

یحمرّ

ḥ-m-r → “dyed crimson”

literal: to be red; to redden

قمیصی

q-m-ṣ → “robe”

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

بدمی

d-m-y → “with my blood”

literal: blood

طریحاً

ṭ-r-ḥ → “fallen”

literal: prostrate; thrown down; helpless

التّراب

t-r-b → “the dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

صریعاً

ṣ-r-ʿ → “laid low” Distinctive

literal: prostrate; vanquished; slain

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

حراک

ḥ-r-k → “move” Distinctive

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

للأعضآء

ʿ-ḍ-w

literal: limb; member; organ

منائی

m-n-y → “\‘Wish ye, then” Distinctive

literal: call; voice; proclamation; forty; forty years

رجائی

r-j-w → “my heart’s desire” Distinctive

literal: hope; expectation

املی

ʾ-m-l → “my hope”

literal: hope; expectation; aspiration; desire; wish; to hope; to wish

عزّی

ʿ-z-z → “glory” Distinctive

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

علائی

ʿ-l-w → “my glory”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ولیکن

k-w-n → “be” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally; lord; helper; first; primary; original

خاتمة

kh-t-m → “Seal”

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

حیاتی

ḥ-y-y

literal: life; vitality; living

مسک

m-s-k → “musk”

literal: hold fast; clinging; cling

یا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

ملاذی

l-w-dh → “my Refuge”

literal: refuge; shelter; asylum

هل

h-l → “people” Distinctive

literal: interrogative particle; whether; is it that

من

m-n → “from”

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

موهبة

w-h-b → “gifts” Distinctive

literal: gift; bestower; gifts

اعظم

ʿ-ẓ-m → “greater than”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وحضرة

ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

انّی

ʾ-n-n → “I”

literal: I, verily; behold I

اشهدک

sh-h-d → “call Thee to witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

اذوق

dh-w-q → “tasted” Distinctive

literal: taste; tasted; taster

کلّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

الأیّام

y-w-m → “no day passeth”

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

بما

m-ʾ

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

اکتسبت

k-s-b → “wrought”

literal: to acquire, earn, gain; to bring upon (oneself); to gain; to acquire; earning; livelihood

ایدی

y-d-y

literal: hand; power; action; possession

الّذین

l-dh-y → “them that”

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

نقضوا

n-q-ḍ → “have broken”

literal: breaker; violator; one who breaks (covenant); covenant-breaker

المیثاق

w-th-q → “the Covenant”

literal: covenant; compact; pact; agreement

اعلنوا

ʿ-l-n → “committed” Distinctive

literal: declaration; be-announced; proclamation/declaration

الشّقاق

sh-q-q → “discord”

literal: discord; dissension; rebellion; strife

اظهروا

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

النّفاق

n-f-q → “sedition”

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

الأرض

ʾ-r-ḍ → “land” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

الفساد

f-s-d

literal: corruption; ruin; discord; mischief; decay

راعوا

r-ʿ-y → “subjects” Distinctive

literal: subjects; shepherd; observe

حرمتک

ḥ-r-m → “deprived” Distinctive

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

احفظ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “Shield” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

حصن

ḥ-ṣ-n → “mighty Stronghold”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

دینک

d-y-n → “Thy Faith”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

هؤلاء

h-ʾ-l → “these”

literal: these

النّاکثین

n-k-th → “violated” Distinctive

literal: violator; broke/violated; violators

احرس

ḥ-r-s → “protect”

literal: guard; guarding; security

حماک

ḥ-m-y → “protection” Distinctive

literal: to protect; to guard; to preserve; to defend

عصبة

ʿ-ṣ-b → “of the company”

literal: band; group; gang; faction; company

المارقین

m-r-q → “ungodly”

literal: one who deviates; one who goes astray; renegade

انّک

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

انت

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

القویّ

q-w-y → “the Mighty” Distinctive

literal: strength; power; might; piety; fear of God; godliness

المقتدر

q-d-r → “the Powerful”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

المتین

m-t-n → “mighty”

literal: firm, strong, robust, steadfast

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

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 ¶