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Will and Testament — §13

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 13 of 59.

Source (Persian)

ای ثابتان بر پیمان این طیر بال و پر شکسته و مظلوم چون آهنگ ملأ اعلی نماید و بجهان پنهان شتابد و جسدش تحت اطباق قرار یابد یا مفقود گردد باید افنان ثابتۀ راسخۀ بر میثاق اللّه که از سدرۀ تقدیس روئیده‌اند با حضرات ایادی امر اللّه علیهم بهآء اللّه و جمیع یاران و دوستان بالاتّفاق بنشر نفحات اللّه و تبلیغ امر اللّه و ترویج دین اللّه بدل و جان قیام نمایند دقیقه‌ئی آرام نگیرند و آنی استراحت نکنند در ممالک و دیار منتشر شوند و آوارۀ هر بلاد و سرگشتۀ هر اقلیم گردند دقیقه‌ئی نیاسایند و آنی آسوده نگردند و نفسی راحت نجویند در هر کشوری نعرۀ یابهآءالأبهی زنند و در هر شهری شهرۀ آفاق شوند و در هر انجمنی چون شمع برافروزند و در هر محفلی نار عشق برافروزند تا در قطب آفاق انوار حقّ اشراق نماید و در شرق و غرب جمّ غفیری در ظلّ کلمة اللّه آید و نفحات قدس بوزد و وجوه نورانی گردد و قلوب ربّانی شود و نفوس رحمانی گردد

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour cometh that this wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its flight unto the Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is incumbent upon the Afnán, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God and have branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God, the glory of the Lord rest upon them; and all the friends and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savours of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His Faith. It behoveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest and steadfast to the end, they must raise in every land the triumphal cry “O Thou the Glory of Glories!” (Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savours of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.

Translation Notes

بر
br b-r-r “in”

literal: on; on, upon; upon

SE rendered ثابتان (thábtán)بر (br)پیمان (pímán)طیر (ṭír)بال (bál)پر (pr)شکسته (shksth) as “ye that stand fast, in, the Covenant, bird, broken-winged”

land 33% upon 11% piety 11% unto 11% pious 6% righteousness 6% beseech 6% good 6% against 6% indignities 6%
بال
bál b-ʾ-l

literal: wing

SE rendered ثابتان (thábtán)بر (br)پیمان (pímán)طیر (ṭír)بال (bál)پر (pr)شکسته (shksth)مظلوم (mẓlúm)چون (chún)آهنگ (áhng) as “ye that stand fast, in, the Covenant, bird, broken-winged, wronged, When the hour cometh, taken its flight”

1 occurrence in corpus

پر
pr p-r-r

literal: wing, feather; wing

SE rendered ثابتان (thábtán)بر (br)پیمان (pímán)طیر (ṭír)بال (bál)پر (pr)شکسته (shksth)مظلوم (mẓlúm)چون (chún)آهنگ (áhng)ملأ (mlʾ) as “ye that stand fast, in, the Covenant, bird, broken-winged, wronged, When the hour cometh, taken its flight, the Celestial Concourse”

4 occurrences in corpus

شکسته

literal: broken

1 occurrence in corpus

آهنگ

literal: intention; intent

2 occurrences in corpus

اعلی
iʿlí ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; exalted

SE rendered شکسته (shksth)مظلوم (mẓlúm)چون (chún)آهنگ (áhng)ملأ (mlʾ)اعلی (iʿlí)نماید (nmáyd)بجهان (bjhán)پنهان (pnhán)شتابد (shtábd) as “broken-winged, wronged, When the hour cometh, taken its flight, the Celestial Concourse, will, Realm of the Unseen, hastened”

most 45% high 18% glory 10% loftiest 6% exalted 6% highest 5% supreme 4% all-glorious 3% heights 2% one 1%
بجهان
bjhán j-h-n

literal: world

SE rendered چون (chún)آهنگ (áhng)ملأ (mlʾ)اعلی (iʿlí)نماید (nmáyd)بجهان (bjhán)پنهان (pnhán)شتابد (shtábd)جسدش (jsdsh)اطباق (iṭbáq) as “When the hour cometh, taken its flight, the Celestial Concourse, will, Realm of the Unseen, hastened, its mortal frame, the dust”

پنهان
pnhán p-n-h “refuge” Distinctive

literal: hidden; refuge; concealed

This form usually rendered as “concealed”, “hide”, “hidden” (8 occurrences)

concealed 40% hide 20% hidden 20% realm 20%
شتابد

literal: hasten

2 occurrences in corpus

یابد
yábd y-ʾ-f-t

literal: find; to find, obtain; found

SE rendered شتابد (shtábd)جسدش (jsdsh)اطباق (iṭbáq)قرار (qrár)یابد (yábd)مفقود (mfqúd)گردد (grdd)باید (báyd)افنان (ifnán)ثابتۀ (thábtۀ) as “hastened, its mortal frame, the dust, rest, lost, hidden, it is incumbent upon, the Afnán, that are steadfast”

should 50% may 50%
از

literal: from

SE rendered ثابتۀ (thábtۀ)راسخۀ (ráskhۀ)بر (br)میثاق (mítháq)اللّه (al-lh)از (iz)سدرۀ (sdrۀ)تقدیس (tqdís)روئیده‌اند (rúʾídh‌ánd) as “that are steadfast, steadfast, in, the Covenant, God, from, the Tree, Holiness, branched”

23 occurrences in corpus

حضرات
ḥḍrát ḥ-ḍ-r

literal: presence; present; presence, majesty

SE rendered از (iz)سدرۀ (sdrۀ)تقدیس (tqdís)روئیده‌اند (rúʾídh‌ánd)حضرات (ḥḍrát)ایادی (iyádí)امر (imr)اللّه (al-lh)علیهم (ʿlíhm) as “from, the Tree, Holiness, branched, Hands, Cause, God, the glory of the”

بهآء
bháʾ b-h-w

literal: glory

SE rendered ایادی (iyádí)امر (imr)اللّه (al-lh)علیهم (ʿlíhm)بهآء (bháʾ)اللّه (al-lh)جمیع (jmíʿ)یاران (yárán)دوستان (dústán) as “Hands, Cause, Lord, the glory of the, all the, friends, loved ones”

glory 82% splendor 18%
ترویج
trúyj r-w-j “promulgate” Distinctive

literal: promotion; promoter; promoting

This form usually rendered as “advance”, “promote”, “promoting” (5 occurrences)

نگیرند
ngírnd g-r-f

literal: take; taken; to take

SE rendered جان (ján)قیام (qíám)نمایند (nmáynd)دقیقه‌ئی (dqíqh‌ʾí)آرام (árám)نگیرند (ngírnd)آنی (ání)استراحت (istráḥt)نکنند (nknnd)ممالک (mmálk) as “soul, arise, will, for a moment, rest, repose, every land”

آنی
ání ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed/verily; indeed

SE rendered نمایند (nmáynd)دقیقه‌ئی (dqíqh‌ʾí)آرام (árám)نگیرند (ngírnd)آنی (ání)استراحت (istráḥt)نکنند (nknnd)ممالک (mmálk) as “will, for a moment, rest, repose, every land”

thee 21% verily 14% thou 14% now 7% moment 7% admit 7% recognize 7% “there 7% “verily 7% such 7%
نکنند
nknnd k-r-d

literal: do; to do; do, make

SE rendered آرام (árám)نگیرند (ngírnd)آنی (ání)استراحت (istráḥt)نکنند (nknnd)ممالک (mmálk)دیار (díár)منتشر (mntshr) as “rest, repose, every land, disperse”

made 21% have 16% do 16% conduct 11% hath 11% arisen 5% ordered 5% done 5% reflect 5% hast 5%
دیار
díár d-w-r

literal: lands

SE rendered استراحت (istráḥt)نکنند (nknnd)ممالک (mmálk)دیار (díár)منتشر (mntshr)شوند (shúnd)آوارۀ (áwárۀ)هر (hr) as “repose, every land, disperse, pass by, every”

land 27% countries 18% cities 18% lands 9% would 9% habitation 9% city 9%
شوند
shúnd sh-w-d “be”

literal: become; to become; became

SE rendered ممالک (mmálk)دیار (díár)منتشر (mntshr)شوند (shúnd)آوارۀ (áwárۀ)هر (hr)بلاد (blád)سرگشتۀ (srgshtۀ)هر (hr) as “every land, disperse, pass by, all, travel throughout”

again 14% would 14% feed 14% unraveling 14% will 14% therein 14% intervening 14%
آوارۀ
áwárۀ ʾ-w-ʾ-r “wander”

literal: wanderers; wanderer

2 occurrences in corpus

بلاد
blád b-l-d

literal: lands; land

SE rendered دیار (díár)منتشر (mntshr)شوند (shúnd)آوارۀ (áwárۀ)هر (hr)بلاد (blád)سرگشتۀ (srgshtۀ)هر (hr)اقلیم (iqlím) as “disperse, pass by, all, travel throughout, clime”

cities 18% nations 18% one 9% earth 9% land 9% world 9% countries 9% all 9% western 9%
سرگشتۀ

literal: bewildered

1 occurrence in corpus

نیاسایند
níásáynd ʾ-s-ʾ “peace”

literal: peace

2 occurrences in corpus

آسوده
ásúdh ʾ-s-w-d

literal: peace; tranquil

SE rendered نیاسایند (níásáynd)آنی (ání)آسوده (ásúdh)نگردند (ngrdnd)نفسی (nfsí)راحت (ráḥt)نجویند (njúynd) as “rest, spirit, have”

2 occurrences in corpus

کشوری
kshúrí k-sh-r “land”

literal: country

1 occurrence in corpus

نعرۀ

literal: cry

1 occurrence in corpus

زنند
znnd z-n-n “wives” Distinctive

literal: wife; woman, wife; strike

This form usually rendered as “raise” (1 occurrences)

wives 33% kindred 33% raise 33%
شمع

literal: candle

6 occurrences in corpus

جمّ
jmm j-m-m “garment” Distinctive

literal: garment

This form usually rendered as “vast” (1 occurrences)

garment 50% vast 50%
رحمانی
rḥmání r-ḥ-m

literal: mercy; merciful

SE rendered گردد (grdd)قلوب (qlúb)ربّانی (rbbání)نفوس (nfús)رحمانی (rḥmání)گردد (grdd) as “be made heavenly, hearts, Divine, souls”

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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57 ¶

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160 ¶