- 1922-02-25 — The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá was written entirely in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own hand and it was Shoghi Effendi's first translation for the believers in the West. It was sent to New York and addressed to "The beloved of God and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United states of America and Canada". The "Will" delineated the Bahá'í World Order, already founded in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and of which 'Abdul'-Bahá was the architect. [AY304]iiiii
- 1923-02-00 —
Shoghi Effendi sent his early translation of The Hidden Words to America in February of 1923. In all probability he send a copy to the Bahá'ís of London as well because the Bahá'í Assembly at London published it under the cover title of Hidden Words, Words of Wisdom, Prayers. [PP205; Collins 5.54]
- This was reprinted in New York by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in 1924 and again in 1925. [Collins 1.55 - 1.56]
- A revised translation The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh was publish in 1929 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Shoghi Effendi acknowledged the assistance of "some English friends" (George Townshend, John Esslemont and Ethel Rosenberg. [Collins 1.57]
- The Guardian's next and last revision of the text took place in 1954. [Unveiling the Hidden Words by Dianna Malouf p75; Collins 1.63]
- 1925-01-02 —
The American Bahá'ís published Shoghi Effendi's revised Hidden Words. [EJR255]
- Another translation was made in 1926–7. [EJR254; GT55–8]
- 1927-03-00 —
Shoghi Effendi retranslated the Hidden Words.
- He was assisted by George Townshend and Ethel Rosenberg, the 'English friends' mentioned on the title page. [EJR246–7, 253–6; GT109, SETPE1p126]
- This was to be the start of an 18 year relationship of collaboration between Shoghi Effendi and George Townshend in the translation of the Writings. As well as Hidden Words, he worked on Kitáb-i-Íqán, The Dawn-Breakers, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, God Passes By and by suggesting titles and writing introductions for The Dawn-Breakers and God Passes By. [SETPE1p127]
- 1930-07-00 — Shoghi Effendi completed his translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán (The Book of Certitude), the first of his major translations of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. [BBRSM63–4; GT60; PP214]
- 1932-00-00 —
Shoghi Effendi's translation of Nabíl's Narrative entitled The Dawn-Breakers was published. Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, as Nabíl's work was entitled, was the most authentic and the main primary source on the early history of the Bábí movement in Iran, was regarded by the Bahá'ís as the definitive account of the Bāb's dispensation. The work has been translated into many languages, and it has played a major role in familiarizing the Bahá'ís around the world with the historical background of their faith and helping them understand its link to the socio-religious climate of the Persian society in the early days of its development. The original Persian manuscript of Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, has been preserved at the International Bahá'í Archives in Haifa. It is comprised 1,014 pages of 22-24 lines.["Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica, GBF91; PP215]
- Shoghi Effendi's translation covered only the first part of Nabil's manuscript, up to 1852, and it may have been an abridgement. The original covered up until the time of the book's completion in 1890. [RR425]
- The work took him two years of research. [PP217]
- He sent Effie Baker to Iran to take photographs for the book. [PP217]
- For George Townshend's assistance to the project see GT59, 60, 64–9.
- For Shoghi Effendi's purpose in translating and editing the book see WOB123.
- See also BBD64; GBF913 PP215–18.
- In the "Acknowledgement" Shoghi Effendi credited Lady Blomfield for her suggestions, "an English correspondent for his help in the preparation of the Introduction, Mrs E Hoagg for typing the manuscript and Effie Baker for the photographs. [DB page lxi]
- See RR422-440 for other historical accounts that might be used as source documents for the Bábí-Bahá'í history.
- See Mary Maxwell's article The Re-florescence of Historical Romance in Nabil. [BW5p595]
- See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ali Nakhjavani p82 for information on the writing of The Dawn-Breakers.
- 1934-10-20 —
The publication of the dictionary used by the Guardian.
In a message from the Universal House of Justice to a department at the World Centre, Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum is quoted as saying:
…that the English dictionary to which the beloved Guardian habitually referred was "Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language", second edition, unabridged, 1934, London G. Bell and Sons Ltd., Springfield, Massachusetts, R. and C. Merriam Co. We presume that if there were two versions published, one American and one British, it will have been the British one that the Guardian used.
Reference to this specific edition of this dictionary is, obviously, very important when gauging the exact meaning intended by Shoghi Effendi in the use of certain words.
[Dictionary Used by the Guardian
by/on behalf of Universal House of Justice
1997-12-08]
- See Wikipedia and a scan of a 1938 print of the American version on archive.org.
- 1935-00-04 —
The publication of Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. [Gleanings; Collins1.37]
- Described by Shoghi Effendi as being, "a selection of the most characteristic and hitherto unpublished passages from the outstanding works of the Author of the Bahá'í Revelation," [GBF93]
- Also see Introduction to Bahá'í Books.
- 1938-00-00 —
The publication of Prayers and Meditations of Bahá'u'lláh. [P&M; Collins1.100]
- It contained 184 pieces.
- 1941-00-00 —
The publication of The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. [ESW; Collins1.25]
- It was a Tablet addressed to Shaykh Muhammad-Taqiy-i-Najafi, a prominent Muslim cleric who had persecuted the Bahá'ís. It was revealed around 1891 at the Mansion of Bahjí and translated by Shoghi Effendi.
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