Will and Testament — §35

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 35 of 59.

Source (Persian)

تری یا الهی یبکی علیّ کلّ الأشیآء و یفرح ببلائی ذوو القربی فوعزّتک یا الهی بعض الأعدآء رثوا علی ضرّی و بلائی و بکوا بعض الحسّاد علی کربتی و غربتی و ابتلائی لأنّهم لم یروا منّی الّا کلّ مودّة و اعتنآء و لم یشاهدوا من عبدک الّا الرّأفة و الولآء فلمّا رأونی خائضاً فی عباب المصائب و البلآء و هدفاً لسهام القضآء رقّوا لی و تدمّعت اعینهم بالبکآء و قالوا نشهد باللّه بأنّنا ما رأینا منه الّا وفآء و عطآء و الرّأفة الکبری ولکنّ النّاقضین النّاعقین زادوا فی البغضآء و استبشروا بوقوعی فی المحنة العظمی و شمّروا عن السّاق و اهتزّوا طرباً من حصول حوادث محزنة للقلوب و الأرواح

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lord! Thou seest all things weeping me, and my kindred rejoicing in my woes. By Thy Glory, O my God! Even amongst mine enemies, some have lamented my troubles and my distress, and of the envious ones a number have shed tears because of my cares, my exile and my afflictions. They did this because they found naught in me but affection and care and witnessed naught but kindliness and mercy. As they saw me swept into the flood of tribulation and adversity and exposed even as a target to the arrows of fate, their hearts were moved with compassion, tears came to their eyes and they testified declaring: “The Lord is our witness; naught have we seen from him but faithfulness, generosity and extreme compassion.” The Covenant-breakers, foreboders of evil, however, waxed fiercer in their rancour, rejoiced as I fell a victim to the most grievous ordeal, bestirred themselves against me and made merry over the heart-rending happenings around me.

Translation Notes

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

یا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

یبکی

b-k-y → “weeping”

literal: to wade; to plunge into; to engage in

علیّ

ʿ-l-w → “me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

کلّ

k-l-l → “all things”

literal: for us; to us

الأشیآء

sh-y-ʾ

literal: thing; something

یفرح

f-r-ḥ → “joy” Distinctive

literal: to rejoice; to be glad; joy

ببلائی

b-l-w → “in my woes”

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

ذوو

dh-w-y → “and”

literal: possessor; owner; one who has; those who have

القربی

q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

فوعزّتک

ʿ-z-z → “By Thy Glory”

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

بعض

b-ʿ-ḍ → “some”

literal: part; some; portion

الأعدآء

ʿ-d-w → “mine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

رثوا

r-th-y → “lamented”

literal: to lament; to mourn; to weep over; to bewail

ضرّی

ḍ-r-r → “troubles”

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

بکوا

b-k-y → “weeping” Distinctive

literal: to wade; to plunge into; to engage in

الحسّاد

ḥ-s-d → “envy” Distinctive

literal: envy; jealousy; coveting

کربتی

k-r-b → “Cherubim” Distinctive

literal: anguish; distress; sorrow

غربتی

gh-r-b → “my exile”

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

لأنّهم

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; because; inasmuch as

لم

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

یروا

r-ʾ-y → “found” Distinctive

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

منّی

m-n → “from” Distinctive

literal: from me; mine; by me; sustenance; benefaction; refuge

الّا

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

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

مودّة

w-d-d → “fellowship” Distinctive

literal: affection; love; friendship

اعتنآء

ʿ-n-w → “of” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

یشاهدوا

sh-h-d → “witnessed”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

عبدک

ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

الرّأفة

r-ʾ-f → “Thy tender mercies” Distinctive

literal: compassion

الولآء

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally

فلمّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

خائضاً

kh-w-ḍ → “cavilings!”” Distinctive

literal: wading; plunging; caviling

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

عباب

ʿ-b-b → “flood”

literal: surge; waves; tumult

المصائب

ṣ-w-b → “trials” Distinctive

literal: calamity; misfortune; disaster; affliction

هدفاً

h-d-f → “target”

literal: target; goal; aim

لسهام

s-h-m → “arrows” Distinctive

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

القضآء

q-ḍ-y → “fate” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

رقّوا

r-q-q → “Thy slaves” Distinctive

literal: slave; subtle things, delicate things; fine

لی

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: upon; on; exalted

تدمّعت

d-m-ʿ → “tears came”

literal: tears; tear; weep

اعینهم

ʿ-y-n → “their eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

قالوا

q-w-l → “Say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

بأنّنا

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; because; inasmuch as

ما

m-ʾ

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

وفآء

w-f-y → “faithfulness”

literal: faithfulness; covenant-keeping; loyalty

عطآء

ʿ-ṭ-w → “generosity”

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

الکبری

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

ولکنّ

l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

النّاقضین

n-q-ḍ → “The Covenant-breakers”

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

النّاعقین

n-ʿ-q → “clamor” Distinctive

literal: to cry out; to call; crier; bleater

زادوا

z-y-d → “waxed fiercer”

literal: increase; more; increased

البغضآء

b-gh-ḍ → “hate”

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

استبشروا

b-sh-r → “rejoiced”

literal: human; glad-tidings; herald

بوقوعی

w-q-ʿ → “I fell a victim”

literal: to fall, to occur, to happen; incident, event

المحنة

m-ḥ-n → “trials” Distinctive

literal: trial, tribulation, ordeal, testing

العظمی

ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

شمّروا

sh-m-r → “regard” Distinctive

literal: count; to count; to count, consider

عن

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

السّاق

s-w-q → “unbearable cruelty”

literal: leg; shank; to drive; to lead

اهتزّوا

h-z-z → “transports” Distinctive

literal: shake; shook; trembling

طرباً

ṭ-r-b

literal: joy, merriment, gladness, delight

حصول

ḥ-ṣ-l

literal: obtained; result; sum

حوادث

ḥ-d-th → “traditions” Distinctive

literal: events, occurrences, accidents, changes and chances

محزنة

ḥ-z-n

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish; to grieve; to sorrow; to be sad

للقلوب

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

الأرواح

r-w-ḥ

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

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 ¶