Will and Testament — §53

Persian source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 53 of 59.

Source (Persian)

این بود که احبّای الهی در کمال ثبوت و وثوق مبعوث شدند و بقوّتی ملکوتی و قدرتی جبروتی و تأییدی آسمانی و توفیقی صمدانی و موهبتی ربّانی مقاومت اعدای میثاق نمودند و رسالۀ شبهات و اوراق ناریّه را ببراهین قاطعه و ادلّۀ واضحه و نصوص الهیّه قریب به هفتاد رساله جواب دادند فرجع کید مرکز النّقض الی نحره و بآء بغضب من اللّه و ضربت علیه الذّلّة و الهوان الی یوم القیام فتبّاً و سحقاً و ذلّاً لقوم سوء اخسرین

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thereupon the loved ones of the Lord arose, inspired with the greatest confidence and constancy, and aided by the power of the Kingdom, by Divine Strength, by heavenly Grace, by the unfailing help and Celestial Bounty, they withstood the enemies of the Covenant in well-nigh three score and ten treatises, and supported by conclusive proofs, unmistakable evidences and clear texts from the Holy Writ, they refuted their scrolls of doubt and mischief-kindling leaflets. The Centre of Sedition was thus confounded in his craftiness, afflicted by the wrath of God, sunk into a degradation and infamy that shall be lasting until the Day of Doom. Base and wretched is the plight of the people of evil deeds, they that are in grievous loss!

Translation Notes

این

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

بود

b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

که

k-h

literal: that; who; who, that

احبّای

ḥ-b-b → “loved ones”

literal: love; affection

الهی

ʾ-l-h → “the Lord” Distinctive

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

در

d-r-r → “with” Distinctive

literal: in; in, at; radiant

کمال

k-m-l → “utmost”

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

ثبوت

th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

وثوق

w-th-q → “Covenant” Distinctive

literal: covenant; testament; bond

مبعوث

b-ʿ-th → “sent down”

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

شدند

sh-d → “was” Distinctive

literal: to not become; to not be

بقوّتی

q-w-y → “power”

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

ملکوتی

m-l-k → “of the Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

قدرتی

q-d-r → “Strength”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

جبروتی

j-b-r → “dominion” Distinctive

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

تأییدی

ʾ-y-d → “inspired” Distinctive

literal: confirmation; emphasis; strengthening; to corroborate; to confirm; to emphasize; to stress

آسمانی

s-m-w → “heavenly”

literal: heaven; sky

توفیقی

w-f-q → “aid” Distinctive

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

صمدانی

ṣ-m-d → “Celestial”

literal: eternal, self-sufficient, divine, the Eternal

موهبتی

w-h-b → “gifts” Distinctive

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

ربّانی

r-b-b

literal: education; upbringing; training; cultivation

مقاومت

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

اعدای

ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

نمودند

n-m-ود → “they”

literal: to show, display, exhibit; to grow, develop

رسالۀ

r-s-l → “Apostle” Distinctive

literal: to send; dispatch; transmission

شبهات

sh-b-h → “doubt”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

اوراق

w-r-q → “leaf” Distinctive

literal: leaf, page, sheet, parchment, document

ناریّه

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

را

r-ʾ-ʾ

literal: object marker; object-marker; to

ببراهین

b-r-h → “by conclusive proofs”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

قاطعه

q-ṭ-ʿ

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

ادلّۀ

d-l-l → “evidences”

literal: to argue; to demonstrate; proof

واضحه

w-ḍ-ḥ → “unmistakable” Distinctive

literal: clear; evident; manifest; obvious

نصوص

n-ṣ-ṣ → “texts”

literal: text; text, explicit statement; texts

قریب

q-r-b → “well-nigh”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

به

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

هفتاد

h-f-t → “seventh” Distinctive

literal: lion; wild beast

جواب

j-w-b

literal: answer, reply, response

دادند

d-ʾ-d → “of equity” Distinctive

literal: to give; to grant; to issue

فرجع

r-j-ʿ → “return”

literal: return; reference; place of return; resort

کید

k-y-d → “stratagem”

literal: plot, stratagem, guile, cunning

مرکز

r-k-z → “Centre”

literal: center; focal point; axis

النّقض

n-q-ḍ → “Sedition”

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

الی

ʾ-l-y → “until”

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

نحره

n-ḥ-r

literal: throat

بآء

b-w-ʾ → “afflicted”

literal: ba letter; preposition ‘in/with/by’

بغضب

gh-ḍ-b → “wrath”

literal: wrath; anger; rage

من

m-n

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

ضربت

ḍ-r-b → “tremble” Distinctive

literal: to strike; to beat; to afflict

علیه

ʿ-l-y

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الذّلّة

dh-l-l → “degradation” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

الهوان

h-w-n → “and offended me” Distinctive

literal: abasement; ignominy; disgrace; contempt

یوم

y-w-m → “Day”

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

فتبّاً

t-b-b → “Sun” Distinctive

literal: sun; ruin

سحقاً

s-ḥ-q → “exterminate”

literal: to crush; to grind; to pulverize; destruction

سوء

s-w-ʾ → “evil”

literal: worst; evil; bad; other than; besides; save; except

اخسرین

kh-s-r → “in grievous loss”

literal: loss; losers; loser

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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50 ¶

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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.

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291 ¶

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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 ¶

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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 ¶

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Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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The Hidden Words

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160 ¶