Will and Testament — §19

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 19 of 59.

Source (Persian)

و ایادی امر اللّه از نفس جمعیّت خویش نه نفر انتخاب نمایند و همیشه بخدمات مهمّۀ ولیّ امر اللّه مشغول باشند و انتخاب این نه نفر یا باتّفاق مجمع ایادی و یا باکثریّت آرا تحقّق یابد و این نه نفر یا بالاتّفاق یا باکثریّت آرا باید غصن منتخب را که ولیّ امر اللّه تعیین بعد از خود نماید تصدیق نمایند و این تصدیق باید بنوعی واقع گردد که مصدّق و غیر مصدّق معلوم نشود

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).

Translation Notes

ایادی

iyádí y-d-y → “hands”

literal: hand; hands; by-hand

hands 81% hand 5% through 3% into 3% longing 3% grace 3% thou 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: thy hand gleaningsGWB §63: all his might kitab-i-iqanKIQ §95: with their own hands prayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: me tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: in Whose hand is tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: with their hands epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: the hands gleaningsGWB §523: to the hands

اللّه

al-lh ʾ-l-h → “god”

literal: God; god

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: grace gleaningsGWB §560: is kitab-i-iqanKIQ §25: the mystic trumpet prayers-and-meditationsP&M §470: Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §53: the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §102: God gleaningsGWB §668: set

از

iz ʾ-z → “from”

literal: from

SE rendered ایادی (iyádí), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), از (iz), نفس (nfs), جمعیّت (jmʿíʿt), خویش (khúysh), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), انتخاب (intkháb) as “The Hands, Cause, God, from, their own, number, nine, persons, elect”

23 occurrences in corpus

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: of kitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: Amongst kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: from kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: at

نفس

nfs n-f-s → “their own”

literal: self; soul; souls

own 23% self 20% soul 18% himself 15% evil 6% souls 5% life 4% man 3% corrupt 3% passions 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §34: people gleaningsGWB §36: which the hands kitab-i-ahdAhd §8: those kitab-i-iqanKIQ §25: the dead prayers-and-meditationsP&M §779: Whose nature tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §52: within herself the-hidden-wordsHW §142: passion will-and-testamentW&T §44: of the insincere

جمعیّت

jmʿíʿt j-m-ʿ → “number”

literal: all; all, entire; group

all 76% every 7% whole 3% gather 3% number 2% each 2% gathered 2% have 2% one 1% great 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §201: whole gleaningsGWB §117: comprehensive kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: layeth up kitab-i-iqanKIQ §170: unity prayers-and-meditationsP&M §267: to be leagued—as tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §56: They all gathered the-hidden-wordsHW §57: can My way accord will-and-testamentW&T §17: congregation

خویش

khúysh kh-w-sh

literal: pleasant; pleasant, sweet; own

SE rendered ایادی (iyádí), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), از (iz), نفس (nfs), جمعیّت (jmʿíʿt), خویش (khúysh), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), انتخاب (intkháb), نمایند (nmáynd), همیشه (hmíshh) as “The Hands, Cause, God, from, their own, number, nine, persons, elect, must, at all times”

sweet 38% delivered 13% blessed 13% blissful 13% well 13% pleasant 13%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §77: delivered gleaningsGWB §674: sweet kitab-i-iqanKIQ §12: well hath the-hidden-wordsHW §147: Pleasant gleaningsGWB §141: blessed gleaningsGWB §688: blissful

نفر

nfr n-f-r → “men”

literal: person

men 20% ones 10% two 10% souls 10% warrior 10% understanding 10% number 10% persons 10% nine 10%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §243: ones kitab-i-iqanKIQ §127: two will-and-testamentW&T §5: detested kitab-i-iqanKIQ §127: souls will-and-testamentW&T §19: persons kitab-i-iqanKIQ §204: understanding will-and-testamentW&T §19: nine kitab-i-iqanKIQ §55: “Affrighted

انتخاب

intkháb n-kh-b → “elect”

literal: election; selection; election, selection

elected 33% elect 33% choose 11% election 11% customary 11%

will-and-testamentW&T §38: the customary elections will-and-testamentW&T §38: to be elected will-and-testamentW&T §19: election will-and-testamentW&T §18: choose will-and-testamentW&T §19: choice will-and-testamentW&T §19: elect will-and-testamentW&T §25: elected by will-and-testamentW&T §17: elected

نمایند

nmáynd n-m-ʾ → “have” Distinctive

literal: do; show; make

This form usually rendered as “may”, “should”, “quench” (91 occurrences)

may 15% should 15% quench 15% choose 8% converse 8% will 8% dedicate 8% consider 8% declare 8% heart 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §123: arrested gleaningsGWB §178: We have kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: is kitab-i-iqanKIQ §47: Reflect prayers-and-meditationsP&M §646: can cause the-hidden-wordsHW §151: made will-and-testamentW&T §24: show your epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §14: how they have made

همیشه

hmíshh h-m-sh → “continually”

literal: always, continually

continually 25% every 25% all 25% time 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §249: continually kitab-i-iqanKIQ §53: From time immemorial kitab-i-iqanKIQ §3: at all times kitab-i-iqanKIQ §136: in every age

مهمّۀ

mhmmۀ h-m-m

literal: endeavor; effort; also

SE rendered انتخاب (intkháb), نمایند (nmáynd), همیشه (hmíshh), بخدمات (bkhdmát), مهمّۀ (mhmmۀ), ولیّ (wlíl), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), مشغول (mshghúl), باشند (báshnd) as “elect, must, at all times, important services, Guardian, Cause, God, occupied, be”

exert 13% endeavor 13% grief 13% all 13% sorrowful 9% anguish 9% resolve 9% endeavors 9% endeavour 9% aimed 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §50: with the utmost endeavor fire-tabletFire §13: Anguish gleaningsGWB §697: Bend your minds and kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: all prayers-and-meditationsP&M §359: they tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: grief the-hidden-wordsHW §160: endeavors will-and-testamentW&T §14: most important

ولیّ

wlíl w-l-y → “guardian”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

guardian 64% viceregent 14% friend 14% lord 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: Lord gleaningsGWB §306: His chosen ones kitab-i-iqanKIQ §274: friends!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §62: Thy sovereignty will-and-testamentW&T §49: have rained epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §196: We pray gleaningsGWB §467: Governor kitab-i-iqanKIQ §19: endowed

مشغول

mshghúl sh-gh-l → “occupied”

literal: occupied; busy; occupy

busied 33% occupied 28% busy 8% immersed 8% engaged 6% busying 6% occupy 3% have 3% stained 3% endeavor 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §125: Occupy gleaningsGWB §410: endeavor kitab-i-iqanKIQ §68: consideration prayers-and-meditationsP&M §429: will keep them back the-hidden-wordsHW §27: and busy will-and-testamentW&T §14: hath spent epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: been busied gleaningsGWB §244: ye are occupied

باشند

báshnd b-w-d → “be”

literal: be; is; to be

SE rendered ولیّ (wlíl), امر (imr), اللّه (al-lh), مشغول (mshghúl), باشند (báshnd), انتخاب (intkháb), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), باتّفاق (báttfáq) as “Guardian, Cause, God, occupied, be, election, nine, unanimously”

must 50% under 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §126: We were gleaningsGWB §342: would be regarded kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: hath never been kitab-i-iqanKIQ §118: have the-hidden-wordsHW §107: with the will-and-testamentW&T §20: be under epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: remained unaware gleaningsGWB §324: will ever continue to depend

باتّفاق

báttfáq w-f-q → “unanimously” Distinctive

literal: agreement; grant success; grant-success

This form usually rendered as “unity”, “concord”, “fellowship” (28 occurrences)

unity 26% concord 21% fellowship 11% unanimously 11% unitedly 5% harmony 5% peace 5% perfect 5% union 5% leagued 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: toward Us gleaningsGWB §396: strengthened kitab-i-iqanKIQ §276: according to prayers-and-meditationsP&M §219: Thou hast graciously enabled will-and-testamentW&T §53: unfailing help epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §20: unity gleaningsGWB §441: union kitab-i-iqanKIQ §278: leagued themselves

باکثریّت

bákthrírt k-th-r → “majority” Distinctive

literal: most; abundance; many

SE usually renders this root as “most”, “living”, “river”

most 63% living 8% river 6% generality 4% majority 4% many 4% multitude 4% vast 2% people 2% greater 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §200: most men fire-tabletFire §24: the people gleaningsGWB §62: waters of everlasting life kitab-i-iqanKIQ §176: numbers prayers-and-meditationsP&M §646: a multitude tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §10: a river of life the-hidden-wordsHW §113: river epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: vast

آرا

árá r-ʾ-y → “thou” Distinctive

literal: see; to see; mirror

This form usually rendered as “vote” (3 occurrences)

thou 23% beholdest 18% perceived 9% see 9% shall 9% “we 9% mirror 9% views 5% saw 5% men 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: see gleaningsGWB §461: met kitab-i-iqanKIQ §109: perceive prayers-and-meditationsP&M §139: how Thy will-and-testamentW&T §58: opinion epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: “Thou seest me gleaningsGWB §547: with a sign kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: mirrors

تحقّق

tḥqqq ḥ-q-q → “be”

literal: truth

SE rendered مجمع (mjmʿ), ایادی (iyádí), باکثریّت (bákthrírt), آرا (árá), تحقّق (tḥqqq), یابد (yábd), نه (nh), نفر (nfr), بالاتّفاق (báláttfáq) as “company, the Hands, majority, be, carried, unanimously”