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Materials Provided by the
Baha’i World Centre on Gender in the Writings,
Translation, Universal
Languages
Contents……………………………………………………………………………………….1
Attachment
#1 - From the Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat,
25
July 2002 email to Nancy Branham Songer……………………………………………….2
Attachment #2 -
Use of Masculine Pronouns and Images…………………………………..3
Attachment #3 - The Use of the Masculine Gender in the
Bahá’í Writings Extracts
from
Letters Written By and on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice…………………..6
Attachment #4 - Literary
Style – Translation………………………………………………...12
Attachment #5 - The
Difficult Art of Translation – Selected Extracts From Letters
Written By and On Behalf of
the Universal House of Justice Concerning the
Translations of Shoghi
Effendi……………………………………………………………….17
Attachment #6 - Importance
of and Guidance on Translating the Bahá’í Writings into
Indigenous and Other
Languages…………………………………………………………….21
***
Attachment #1 - Department of the Secretariat, 15 August 2002, email to
Nancy Branham Songer, re:
universal auxiliary language and universal language………….26
Attachment #2 - Extract from
a Research Department memorandum dated 7 July 1994……27
Attachment #3 – The
Principle of an International Auxiliary Language……………………30
Attachment #4 –
International Auxiliary Language…………………………………………38
Attachment #5 – Baha’i World
Centre Library A Partial Bibliography of Published
Works on an Auxiliary
Language 3 September 1991……………………………………….39
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF
JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT
Bahá’í World Centre • P.O. Box 155 • 31 001 Haifa, Israel
Tel: 972 (4) 835 8358 • Fax: 972 (4) 835 8280 • Email:
secretariat@bwc.org
25 July 2002
Transmitted by email:
nsonger@sc.rr.com
Mrs. Nancy Branham Songer
U.S.A.
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
The Universal House of
Justice referred your emailed letter dated 22 June 2002 to its
Research Department for
comments, and it commends to your study the enclosed memorandum
prepared in response to your
queries concerning the use of masculine pronouns and images in
the Sacred Writings of the
Faith. We hope this information will prove useful to your endeavors,
and you are free to use any
of the contents in your presentation at the Association for Bahá’í
Studies conference.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
Enclosure with four
attachments
M E M O R A N D U M
To: The Universal
House of Justice Date: 25 July 2002
From: Research
Department
The
Research Department has studied the questions on the above-mentioned subject
raised by Mrs. Nancy Branham
Songer in her emailed letter dated 22 June 2002 to the
Universal House of Justice.
Mrs. Songer observes that in the authorized English translations
of the Bahá’í Scriptures and
in the English writings of the Guardian, God is invariably termed
“Father”, masculine pronouns
are used in reference to the Divinity, and the term “man” is used to represent
humanity as well as individuals. From her study of the Bahá’í teachings Mrs.
Songer is aware that “this usage is a product of convention and the images are
generic and intended to be inclusive”. She is also cognizant of the fact that
“these practices nevertheless raise certain questions because of the importance
of language in the formation of worldview”. In this regard she states that
“according to [her] understanding, two important spiritual features of this age
will be the deanthropomorphization of God in the minds of human beings and the
equality of the sexes”. However, it is her view that the present “language of
the Bahá’í scriptures … can be seen to repeat and reinforce the sense that the
Divine is somehow male”, and the “consistent use of ‘man’ and masculine
pronouns in the Writings to represent humanity and individuals contributes to
an image that the human archetype is male”. In light of these observations,
Mrs. Songer poses a number of detailed questions concerning the work of
translation—the implications of present practice for future translations,
whether “Bahá’í English with regard to gender was crystallized at the point of
the Guardian’s translations”, whether the universal auxiliary language will
need “to retain masculine imagery in order to be true to the message or will it
be able to establish new forms”, and whether “there are spiritual implications
to sex-specific imagery … being fixed in holy Scriptures for all time or at
least until the end of this dispensation”. We provide the following comment.
By
way of introduction, we wish to note that the Research Department has not, to
date, been able to locate
detailed guidance concerning the specific technical issues raised by
Mrs. Songer about the
practical implications of present translation practices for the future work of
translation, especially as they relate to gender issues. To assist Mrs. Songer
in thinking about the questions she poses, we attach the following four
compilations:
q “The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings”, a compilation of extracts from letters written
by and on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The extracts in the
compilation set out a number of general principles in relation to this subject
and the Bahá’í perspective on it. We note, for example, the House of Justice
indicates that:
§
“In
many languages the use of the masculine gender, unless intended specifically
todenote masculinity, is generic” (extract 1, see also extracts 2 and 6).
§
“The
translation of the Writings of the Central Figures of the Faith must of
necessityagree in full detail with the original in conveying the exact meaning
of the Words as
The Use of Masculine
Pronouns and Images 25
July 2002
Page 2
they have been revealed”
(extracts 2, 8 and 9). In addition, the Universal House of
Justice indicates that it
“does not feel it appropriate to change Shoghi Effendi’s usage of
certain nouns in his
translations” (extract 8). Indeed, “The style of translation into
English was set by Shoghi
Effendi” (extract 10).
resolved either by changing
the usage of nouns, or by permitting the consciousness of
sexual equality to modify
the meaning of nouns as they are now used. No doubt both
courses will be followed in
the evolution of the language. It is generally considered
preferable to permit the
change of consciousness to change the meaning that people
attribute to words, rather
than to press the use of forms of words, which may seem
contrived” (extract 8).
§
“The
challenge … is to accept the use of pronouns in their generic sense, which will
lead one to view the matter
in terms of a spiritual response, rather than one of
semantics” (extracts 8 and
10).
q “Literary
Style—Translation”, a compilation of materials that was prepared some time ago.
The compilation includes a statement from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about translation,
extracts from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal
House of Justice, and a description of the writings of Shoghi Effendi excerpted
from RúHíyyih Rabbani’s “The Priceless Pearl” (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
1969), pages 196–204.
q “The Difficult Art of
Translation—Selected Extracts from Letters Written By and on Behalf of the
Universal House of Justice Concerning the Translations of Shoghi Effendi”.
Extracts in the compilation address such issues as:
§ The status of Shoghi
Effendi’s translations (extracts 1 and 6). The importance of his translations
as a starting point for translations into other European languages (extract 1).
§ The Guardian’s approach to
translation (extracts 2, 4, and 7).
§ The interpretative aspect to
Shoghi Effendi’s translations (extracts 1, 5, and 6).
§ Translators are encouraged
to “strive to render the words of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá into
English in a way that reproduces as accurately as possible the meaning of the
originals, that is as beautiful as possible, and that harmonizes closely with
the style used by Shoghi Effendi” (extract 4).
q “Importance of and Guidance
on Translating the Bahá’í Writings into Indigenous and Other Languages”. This
compilation, consisting mostly of the correspondence of the Universal House of Justice, was prepared some time ago.
Despite the fact that there is a degree of
The Use of Masculine
Pronouns and Images 25 July 2002
Page 3
repetition in the content,
it is included because of Mrs. Songer’s interest in the importance
and use of language.
As
to Mrs. Songer’s question concerning whether “the universal auxiliary language
needs to retain masculine imagery in order to be true to the message or will it
be able to establish new forms”, the Research Department has not, to date, been
able to locate any references to this subject in the authoritative literature
of the Faith. However, we call attention to the following statement of the
Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 8 December 1964, which is included
in extract 1 of the attached document “The Difficult Art of Translation”:
We also feel that it is
still premature to decide upon the question of the International Auxiliary
Language. It is quite clear from the Texts that any living
or invented language may be
chosen, but the time and manner of its choosing and propagation are not yet
decided.
Attachments 4
The Use of the Masculine Gender in the Bahá’í Writings
Extracts from Letters Written By and on Behalf of the Universal House
of Justice
In
many languages the use of the masculine gender, unless intended specifically to
denote
masculinity, is generic. For
instance, in English we speak of the race of man, or mankind, in
both instances meaning every
member of the human race—men, women and children. There
would be no reason to
interpret “O Son of Being”, or “O Son of Man” as addressed only to
males. It is the same with
pronouns.
(5
April 1981, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [1]
The
principle of the equality of men and women which is firmly established by the
Author of the Faith and
forms one of the basic tenets of our belief will be fully realized as the
human race matures in its
understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.
Equality will be achieved as
a direct result of the adjustments the friends are required to make
in their attitude towards
this fundamental issue so essential to the establishment of the unity of
mankind, and despite the
exigencies of the languages in which the revealed Words have been
received and in which they
have been translated. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “...in His estimate there is
no question of sex.” “In the
estimation of God there is no gender.”1…
The
translation of the Writings of the Central Figures of the Faith must of
necessity agree
in full detail with the
original in conveying the exact meaning of the Words as they have been
revealed. The Guardian did
not even approve the changing of pronouns in Bahá’í prayers when
they are read. Therefore, no
deviation in translation from the actual meaning of the words, to
accommodate the general
trend of thought and behaviour affecting a language, is conceivable,
unless, of course, the
equivalent of the original word does not exist in a given language. In one
of His talks quoted in “The
Promulgation of Universal Peace”, page 76, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
The
truth is that all mankind are the creatures and servants of one God, and in His
estimate
all are human. “Man” is a generic term applying to all humanity. The biblical
statement
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” does not mean that woman
was
not created. The image and likeness of God apply to her as well. In Persian and
Arabic
there are two distinct words translated into English as man: one meaning man
and
woman
collectively, the other distinguishing man as male from woman the female. The
first
word and its pronoun are generic, collective; the other is restricted to the
male. This
is
the same in Hebrew.
Concerning
the English language, it is interesting that the 1983 edition of the Concise
Oxford English Dictionary
gives “human being” as the first meaning of “man”; and only as the
fourth meaning “adult human
male, opp. to woman, boy, or both.” Therefore, the use of “man”
or “men” in translating the
intent of the Revealer of the Words to embrace all humankind seems
a good choice.
(20
May 1984, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [2]
1 “The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to theUnited States and Canada in 1912”, rev.
ed. (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1995), pp. 174 and 374.
The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings 25
July 2002
Page 2
We
have considered your memorandum of 6 June 1989 and appreciate the points you
have raised concerning the sensitivity
of women, both Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í, to the use of
what are construed to be
exclusively masculine words in the Sacred Writings of the Bahá’í
Faith.
While
we recognize that the problem of gender in language presents difficulties at
the
present time, we must also
recognize that the problem varies considerably from language to
language, depending on the
number of grammatical genders that each language uses.
Since
the immediate concern in the translations … centres on usage in English, we
shall
concentrate on the problem
as it exists in that language. English is fortunate in having a
common gender. The problem
of gender-specific nouns is, therefore, susceptible of two lines of
solution. One is to change
the usage of nouns, the other is to permit the consciousness of
sexual equality to modify
the meaning of nouns as now used. Undoubtedly both courses will be
followed in the evolution of
the language. The word “doctor” for example, is now clearly of
common gender in English,
although originally masculine. Our feeling is that, in general, it is
preferable to permit the
change of consciousness to change the meaning that people attribute to
the words, rather than to
press the use of forms of words that seem contrived and, to many
people, ridiculous—a reaction
that does not help the advancement of the cause of the equality
of the sexes. Following this
reasoning, as you will have noted, we used the word “chairman” in
relation to the sessions of
the International Convention, although all were women.
In
respect to the Sacred Writings, the originals, clearly, cannot be changed, and
we do not
feel at liberty to change
Shoghi Effendi’s usage of “man” or “mankind” to “humanity” or
“humankind”.
(27
November 1989, from a memorandum from the Universal House of Justice
to
a Bahá’í Office of Public Information) [3]
There
are, as you indicate, many conventions of expression in use at the present time
which reflect the male
dominance of human society in the past. We must hope that as the
consciousness of human
beings changes and as the equality of the sexes comes to be accepted
in theory and in practice
throughout the world, the meanings attached to certain words will
change accordingly, as will
the usage of words. Language is a living thing and changes as the
culture which it reflects
changes….
The
important point here is that one will not persuade people to change their usage
of
language until one has
convinced them of the true understanding of the reality of things; but
when they once understand
the truth, the meaning that they attach to words changes, and thus a
change in usage becomes much
less important, if not irrelevant.
(8
March 1990, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual)
[4]
… the House of Justice is
well aware that, at various times, the meaning attached to certain
words becomes influenced by
emotions and can assume overtones which are offensive to some
segments of the population.
In the case of the generic terms in the English translations of the
Bahá’í Writings, the
tendency to take such terms as being applicable only to males is a
reflection of the
male-dominated society which has prevailed for so long, and to which there is
The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings 25
July 2002
Page 3
a reaction from women who
are seeking legitimate recognition and equality. Bahá’ís can well
sympathize with such
concerns, while pointing out that language is a living thing and that the
intended meaning of the
generic terms will doubtless become more readily apparent as the
influence of the Bahá’í
commitment to equality of the sexes permeates human society more
fully.
It
is understandable that some non-Bahá’ís are initially disturbed by the use of
those
terms in our Writings which
are associated conventionally with a male orientation. Seekers
after truth should be
assisted to determine the intended meaning of such terms through
reference to the Bahá’í
Teachings, rather than through assuming that these terms have the
meaning now prevalent in the
world; thus they will find that they should seek that meaning
which is consistent with
equality of men and women, and which also happens to be the primary
meaning associated with
classical usage of the English language to convey spiritual truths. A
similar approach is called
for when a seeker encounters a number of other terms and phrases in
the Writings.
Members
of the Bahá’í community should not fall unconsciously into the error of
labelling the Bahá’í
Writings as being “sexist” or “discriminatory”, or of feeling a need to
apologize to non-Bahá’ís for
the terms used. Such an attitude would be indicative of a lack of
understanding of the Bahá’í
approach to this issue, and a lack of confidence in the position
adopted by the Faith in
regard to use of generic terms.
(26
September 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National
Spiritual Assembly) [5]
We
regret the very long delay in responding to your request … for help in locating
something in print regarding
the use of the male pronoun in the Bahá’í Writings. In this regard
we are enclosing a copy of
extracts from letters written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to individual
believers regarding the use of the masculine gender in the Writings.
Related to this subject is
the reference on page seven in the introduction to “The Kitáb-i-Aqdas”
where it is stated that it
is apparent from the writings of the Guardian that “where Bahá’u’lláh
has given a law as between a
man and a woman, it applies ‘mutatis mutandis’ between a woman
and a man unless the context
makes this impossible”.
(26
June 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [6]
In
relating the Teachings of the Faith to the discussion of contemporary social
issues,
Bahá’í publications are
challenged by the need to adapt editorial policies to the ever-changing
public perceptions of those
issues, without compromising the fundamental Bahá’í principles
and concepts involved. The
question of “gender inclusive language” guidelines is a case in
point. The editors of a publication
like the Journal will certainly have acquainted themselves
with the various points of
view on the subject current among the readership which they and
their authors are
addressing, together with prevailing modes of expression. These factors will
exercise an influence on
Bahá’í editorial policy, but must do so within the context of the
Teachings.
Clearly,
the Scriptures of the Faith, as revealed by the Founders and interpreted by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the
Guardian, impose their own requirements on Bahá’í authors and editors
The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings 25
July 2002
Page 4
alike. On the one hand, an
editorial board will quite properly be concerned to take into account
the preferences and
convictions common to the great majority of the intended readers of its
publication. On the other,
Bahá’í authors must be left entirely free to discuss the Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh in its own terms
and language as set out in the Bahá’í Scriptures themselves and in
their authorized interpretations,
irrespective of current fashions in academic and other public
discourse. That is to say:
the Sacred Writings of the Faith and those of the Guardian do not use
the “gender inclusive
language” now in vogue, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the
Editorial Board to impose
such current standards on Bahá’í authors.
(26
July 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National
Spiritual
Assembly) [7]
Your
letter of 19 September 1996 expressing your concern regarding the use of
inclusive
masculine terms in the
Sacred Writings has been received by the Universal House of Justice,
and we have been asked to
reply.
The
point you have raised regarding the sensitivity of women, both Bahá’í and non-
Bahá’í, to the use of
masculine nouns and pronouns when referring to God is noted and your
concern appreciated. It is
recognized that the question of gender in language presents
difficulties at this time;
however, it must also be recognized that the problem varies
considerably from language
to language, depending on the number of grammatical genders that
each language uses.
English
is fortunate in having a common gender. Therefore, the issue of gender-specific
nouns may be resolved either
by changing the usage of nouns, or by permitting the
consciousness of sexual
equality to modify the meaning of nouns as they are now used. No
doubt both courses will be
followed in the evolution of the language. It is generally considered
preferable to permit the
change of consciousness to change the meaning that people attribute to
words, rather than to press
the use of forms of words, which may seem contrived.
Likewise,
when considering the manner in which masculine nouns and pronouns are used
to refer to God, it is
important to bear in mind that when Bahá’u’lláh was revealing His
Scriptures He had to use
language and forms of expression which could be understood by those
whom He was addressing. This
is the case with every Prophet; He is compelled to use old
forms through which He will
raise humanity to a new level of understanding. In Arabic and
Persian, as in English and
most European languages, it has been customary to refer to God as
“Lord” and “Father”, rather
than “Lady” and “Mother”. While using the conventional wording
Bahá’u’lláh approached the
matter on two levels. In relation to God He devoted vast numbers
of Tablets to conveying the
truth that God is not only neither male nor female, but is far above
all human understanding. If
you study deeply the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh that portray both the
transcendence and immanence
of God you will find that the entire question of sex in this
context falls into total
insignificance.
On
the human level, the Bahá’í Teachings stress again and again the equality of
men and
women. They do not ignore
the differences between the sexes, but repeatedly emphasize their
equality. This is a
universal concept, irrespective of the language in which it is expressed.
Regarding the pronouns which
refer to the Deity, in Arabic there is a distinction between
the masculine and feminine;
however, the Persian language does not make such a distinction in
pronouns between the sexes.
As you have noted in your letter, the style of translation into
The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings 25
July 2002
Page 5
English was set by Shoghi
Effendi. In respect to the Sacred Writings, the originals clearly
cannot be changed, and the
House of Justice does not feel it appropriate to change Shoghi
Effendi’s usage of certain
nouns in his translations. The Guardian did not even approve the
changing of pronouns in
Bahá’í prayers when they are read. Therefore, no deviation in
translation from the actual
meaning of the words, to accommodate the general trend of thought
and behavior affecting a
language, is permissible, unless, of course, the equivalent of the
original word does not exist
in a given language.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
says: “...in His estimate there is no question of sex.” “In the estimation of
God there is no gender.”
The
challenge, therefore, is to accept the use of pronouns in their generic sense,
which
will lead one to view the
matter in terms of a spiritual response, rather than one of semantics.
The
principle of the equality of men and women, which is firmly established by
Bahá’u’lláh and forms one of
the basic tenets of our Faith, will be fully realized as the human
race matures in its
understanding of the significance of His Revelation. Equality will be
achieved as a direct result
of the transformations the believers make in their attitudes toward
this fundamental issue, and
despite the exigencies of the languages in which the revealed Words
have been received and
translated.
(24
October 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [8]
In response to your email of
21 August 1998 requesting guidance concerning the use of
“gender-sensitive language”
for use in your “discussions with potential authors and in the
editing of their work”, we
are able to provide the following comments.
The
Universal House of Justice has previously stated in response to a similar query
that
the use of “gender inclusive
language” is one of the many contemporary issues which challenge
Bahá’í publications to adapt
editorial policies to the ever-changing public perceptions without
compromising the fundamental
Bahá’í principles and concepts involved. It is the responsibility
of authors and editors to
acquaint themselves with the various points of view on the subject
current among the readership
which they are addressing, together with the prevailing modes of
expression. These factors
will exercise an influence on Bahá’í editorial policy, but must do so
within the context of the
Teachings.
Clearly,
the Scriptures of the Faith, as revealed by the Founders and interpreted by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the
Guardian, impose their own requirements on Bahá’í authors and editors
alike. On the one hand, an
editorial board will quite properly be concerned to take into account
the preferences and
convictions common to the great majority of the intended readers of its
publication. On the other,
Bahá’í authors must be left entirely free to discuss the Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh in its own terms
and language as set out in the Bahá’í Scriptures themselves and in
their authorized
interpretations, irrespective of current fashions in academic and other public
discourse.
It
is not surprising that the struggle to achieve such a balance during an era of
unprecedented social and
intellectual turmoil is very challenging to Bahá’í publishers.
Inevitably, there will be
certain segments of the public who will object in some degree to
The Use of the Masculine
Gender in the Bahá’í Writings 25
July 2002
Page 6
whatever resolution is
arrived at in any given case, but this should not unduly distress either
Bahá’í authors or Bahá’í
editors.
(16
September 1998, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
Bahá’í
Publisher) [9]
The
Universal House of Justice has received your email message of 17 September 1999
requesting guidance on the
question of gender as it relates to the Deity and the use of gender
specific pronouns when
referring to God.
When
considering the manner in which masculine pronouns are used to refer to God, it
is
important to bear in mind
that when Bahá’u’lláh was revealing His Scriptures He had to use
language and forms of expression
which could be understood by those whom He was
addressing. This is the case
with every Prophet; He is compelled to use old forms through
which He will raise humanity
to a new level of understanding. In Arabic and Persian, as in
English and most European
languages, it has been customary to refer to God as “Lord” and
“Father”, rather than “Lady”
and “Mother”. While using the conventional wording,
Bahá’u’lláh devoted vast
numbers of Tablets to conveying the truth that God is not only neither
male nor female, but also is
far above all human understanding. If one studies deeply the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh that
portray both the transcendence and immanence of God it becomes
clear that the entire
subject of sex in this context is essentially irrelevant….
The
style of translation into English was set by Shoghi Effendi, and in respect to
the
Sacred Writings the
originals clearly cannot be changed. The Guardian did not even approve
the changing of pronouns in
Bahá’í prayers when they are read. Therefore, when translating the
Sacred Writings it is not
possible to alter the actual meaning of the words to accommodate the
general trend of thought and
behavior affecting a language.
The
challenge, therefore, is to accept the use of pronouns in their generic rather
than
gender sense, which will
lead one to view issues in terms of a spiritual response, rather than one
of semantics. The Bahá’í
Teachings stress again and again the equality of men and women.
They do not ignore the
differences between the sexes, but repeatedly emphasize their equality.
This is a universal
principle of the Faith, irrespective of the language in which it is expressed.
(7
October 1999, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National
Spiritual Assembly) [10]
Regarding
the translation of the Books and Tablets of the Blessed Beauty, ere long will
translations be made into every tongue, with power, clarity and grace. At such
time as they are translated, conformably to the originals, and with power and
grace of style, the splendours of their inner meanings will be shed abroad, and
will illumine the eyes of all mankind. Do thy very best to ensure that the
translation is in conformity with the original.
(“Selections
from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”, number 31.13)
This
is one more attempt to introduce to the West, in language however inadequate,
this book of unsurpassed pre-eminence among the writings of the Author of the
Bahá’í Revelation. The hope is that it may assist others in their efforts to
approach what must always be regarded as the unattainable goal—a befitting
rendering of Bahá’u’lláh’s matchless utterance.
(Shoghi
Effendi, Foreword to “The Kitáb-i-Iqán” (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust,
1985)
It
must have been very distasteful to you to read some of the off-hand and
ungrammatical translations that more out of necessity than choice won
circulation and were even published. Furthermore, it was always the expressed
wish and desire of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to have proper and adequate translations that
would not only convey the true spirit of the original but also possess some
literary merit. And for this he emphasized the necessity of a board of
translators. Such a board it has unfortunately been impossible to form as yet.
(28
March 1926 to an individual believer)
Shoghi
Effendi hopes that before long we will obtain a group of competent English and
Persian scholars who would devote their whole time and energy to the
translation of the Words and bring out things that are really deserving. For
whatever we have at present, even the very best, is only a mediocre rendering
of the Persian or Arabic beauty of style and fertility of language that we find
in the original.
(4
July 1929 to an individual believer)
Shoghi Effendi wishes me also to express his deep-felt appreciation of
your intention to study the Qur’án. The knowledge of this revealed holy Book
is, indeed, indispensable to every Bahá’í who wishes to adequately understand
the writings of Bahá’u’lláh. And in view of that the Guardian has been
invariably encouraging the friends to make as thorough a study of this Book as
possible, particularly in their Summer Schools. Sale’s translation is the most
scholarly we have, but Rodwell’s version is more literary, and hence easier for
reading.
(23
November 1934 to an individual believer)
-2-
He feels the highest
literary standard possible should be maintained in any future translations of
Bahá’í writings into Spanish, and for this reason he heartily welcomes the
suggestion to refer such work to Spanish professors....
(14
December 1938 to an individual believer)
There
is no objection to using, in translations of the Master’s words, a uniform style
such as “he does” or “he doeth”. It certainly creates a ridiculous impression
to use both. One or the other may be chosen.
In
Persian it is impolite not to use the word “FaGrat” before the name of the
Prophet, so that strictly speaking a proper translation should always have “His
Holiness Moses” etc.;
however, as this seems
peculiar in English, and not in the best usage of our language, he feels it can
be dispensed with. Pronouns referring to the Manifestation, or the Master,
should, however, invariably be capitalized.
(8
November 1948 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
Shoghi
Effendi himself uses the King James version of the Bible, both because it is an
authoritative one and in beautiful English.
(28
October 1949 to an individual believer)
He
is interested in accomplishing two things—he would like in the European
languages to have as much uniformity with the English translations as possible;
he does not wish the Bahá’í translations to be in any way a flagrant violation
of the rules of the language into which our literature is being translated.
Your
Committee must conscientiously study this question, and then do the best you
can to have the Bahá’í literature in French meet the high standards of the
French language and grammar.
If
the possessive and demonstrative adjectives and pronouns in French are never
capitalized where they stand
for “God”, then this should not be done in the Bahá’í literature. If there is a
precedent for doing so in the French language, however, they should be. The
same is true of the attributes of God.
(15
February 1957 to the National Translation and Publication Committee
of
France)
We realise that translation
is a very difficult task and that however good a translation is
there are always differences
of opinion, both as to accuracy and style. However, in translating
Bahá’í Scripture it is
important to remember that the style in the original is an exalted one and this
aspect should not be lost when it is translated into other languages. It can be
noted, for example, that when the beloved Guardian was making his translations
into English he used a style that is far from being that of modern English
usage but is admirably suited to the richness and imagery of the original.
(12
August 1973 to a National Spiritual Assembly)
-3-
A
translation should of course be as true as possible to the original while being
in the best possible style of the language into which it is being translated.
However, you should realize that it will not be possible to translate the
Tablets adequately into easy, modern Dutch. Many of the original Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are written in very exalted and poetic Persian and
Arabic and therefore a similar flavour should be attempted in the language into
which it is translated. You will see, for example, that in translating the
Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh into English the beloved Guardian has created a very
beautiful and poetic style in English using many words which might be
considered archaic and are reminiscent of the English used by the translators
of the King James version of the Bible.
As
you point out, a literal translation is often a bad one because it can produce
a
phraseology or imagery that
would convey the wrong impression, thus a translator is at times
compelled to convey the
meaning of the original by means of a form of words suited to the
language. However, a person
translating the Bahá’í Writings must always bear in mind that he or she is
dealing with the Word of God, and, when striving to convey the meaning of the
original, he should exert
his utmost to make his rendering both faithful and befitting.
(29
October 1973 to an individual believer)
Those who are entrusted with the task of translating the Sacred
Writings from the original into English should study the original very closely,
and then attempt to express as accurately and as beautifully as possible in
English that which the original conveys. To do this they frequently have to use
various different synonyms in English to give the best translation of the same
Arabic or Persian word when it appears in different contexts. Conversely, they
may have to use the same English word in different contexts to translate various
different words in the original. In doing this they attempt to follow the
example set by Shoghi Effendi in his magnificent translations.
(31
May 1981 to a National Translation and Revision Committee of a National
Spiritual
Assembly)
Translation is a very
difficult art—an art in which absolute perfection is unattainable. However good
a translation, there will always be those who would have preferred it
otherwise, for taste, which is undefinable, plays such a large part in such
judgements.
(20
September 1982 to an individual believer)
From memoranda prepared by
the Research Department at the instruction of the Universal
House of Justice
The question of which style
of Swedish should be used for the translation of Bahá’í
Writings is one that, we
feel, must be decided by the National Assembly of Sweden after
considering the views of
those who are expert both in translation and in Swedish literary style. While
it is not obligatory for them to follow the practice that the beloved Guardian
adopted in English, it would be useful for them to bear in mind certain aspects
of the problem which have been solved in English by Shoghi Effendi.
-4-
The originals of the Bahá’í
Writings are not only in three different languages (Arabic,
Persian and a few in
Turkish), which have very different characteristics, but are also in a
number of different styles.
Some are highly poetic and metaphorical, others more precise and
specific. In
English-speaking countries, as in most others, religion and spirituality are in
a
phase of eclipse; therefore
the vocabulary used to convey many profound religious concepts has fallen into
disuse. To attempt to express the highly poetic and allusive terminology of the
Bahá’í Writings in plain,
modern English would either be banal or would make the passages
sound very strange and
foreign. The Guardian’s use of a style of English that is slightly archaic, a
style in which there is an abundance of spiritual and poetic terminology, acts
as a bridge between the English of today and the style of the Persian and
Arabic Writings of the Founders of the Faith.
(1
July 1985 to the House of Justice from the Research Department for the
Swedish
Publishing Trust)
Those
devoted believers who are currently engaged in translation work have a
difficult task, for the originals of the Bahá’í Writings are not only in three
different languages (Arabic, Persian, and a few in Turkish) but are also
composed in a number of different styles. Some are highly poetic and
metaphorical, others more precise and specific. The translators must study the
original closely in order to attempt an accurate and beautiful rendition in
English suitable for the style and language of the original text.
(27
May 1987 to an individual believer)
In
an age when people play football with words, kicking them right and left
indiscriminately with no
respect for either their meaning or correct usage, the style of Shoghi
Effendi stands out in
dazzling beauty. His joy in words was one of his strongest personal
characteristics, whether he
wrote in English—the language he had given his heart to—or in the mixture of
Persian and Arabic he used in his general letters to the East. Although he was
so simple in his personal tastes he had an innate love of richness which is
manifest in the way he arranged and decorated various Bahá’í Holy Places, in
the style of the Shrine of the Báb, in his preferences in architecture, and in
his choice and combination of words. Of him it could be said, in the words of another
great writer, Macaulay, that “he wrote in language ... precise and luminous.”
Unlike so many people Shoghi Effendi wrote what he meant and meant exactly what
he wrote. It is impossible to eliminate any word from one of his sentences
without sacrificing part of the meaning, so concise, so pithy is his style....
The
language in which Shoghi Effendi wrote, whether for the Bahá’ís of the West or
of the East, has set a standard which should effectively prevent them from
descending to the level of illiterate literates which often so sadly
characterizes the present generation as far as the use and appreciation of
words are concerned. He never compromised with the ignorance of his readers but
expected them, in their thirst for knowledge, to overcome their ignorance.
Shoghi Effendi chose, to the best of his great ability, the right vehicle for
his thought and it made no difference to him whether the average person was
going to know the word he used or not. After all, what one does not know one
can find out. Although he had such a brilliant command of language he
frequently reinforced his knowledge by certainty through looking up the word he
-5-
planned to use in Webster’s
big dictionary. Often one of my functions was to hand it to him and it was a
weighty tome indeed! Not infrequently his choice would be the third or fourth
usage of the word, sometimes bordering on the archaic, but it was the exact
word that conveyed his meaning and so he used it. I remember my mother once
saying that to become a Bahá’í was like entering a university, only one never
finished learning, never graduated. In his translations of the Bahá’í writings,
and above all in his own compositions, Shoghi Effendi set a standard that
educates and raises the cultural level of the reader at the same time that it
feeds his mind and soul with thoughts and truth....
The
supreme importance of Shoghi Effendi’s English translations and communications
can never be sufficiently stressed because of his function as sole and
authoritative interpreter of the Sacred Writings, appointed as such by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. There are many instances when, owing to the looseness
of construction in Persian sentences, there could be an ambiguity in the mind
of the reader regarding the meaning. Careful and correct English, not lending
itself to ambiguity in the first place, became, when coupled with Shoghi
Effendi’s brilliant mind and his power as interpreter of the Holy Word, what we
might well call the crystallizing vehicle of the teachings. Often by referring
to Shoghi Effendi’s translation into English the original meaning of the Báb,
Bahá’u’lláh, or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá becomes clear and is thus safeguarded against
misinterpretation in the future. He was meticulous in translating and made
absolutely sure that the words he was using in English conveyed and did not
depart from the original thought or the original words. One would have to have
a mastery of Persian and Arabic to correctly understand what he did....
The
Guardian was exceedingly cautious in everything that concerned the original
Word and would never explain or comment on a text submitted to him in English
(when it was not his own translation) until he had verified it with the
original.
(Rúhíyyih
Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1969),
pp.
196–204)
The Difficult Art of Translation—Selected Extracts
From Letters Written By and On Behalf of the Universal House of Justice
The
matter of translation is a major problem. As you yourself know only too well,
to
convey exactly the meaning
and flavour of a passage from one language to another is often
impossible and one can but
labour to approach as near as possible to the unattainable perfection.
Even our beloved Guardian,
whose skill in this art amounted to genius, characterized his
translation of the
“Kitáb-i-Iqán” as “one more attempt to introduce to the West, in language
however inadequate, this
book of unsurpassed pre-eminence among the writings of the Author
of the Bahá’í Revelation”
and he expressed the hope “that it may assist others in their efforts to
approach what must always be
regarded as the unattainable goal—a befitting rendering of
Bahá’u’lláh’s matchless
utterance.”
The
difficulty of translation increases when two languages express the thoughts and
metaphors of widely
differing cultures; thus, it is infinitely more difficult for a European to
conceive the thought
patterns expressed in Arabic or Persian than to understand a passage
written in English.
Moreover, the beloved Guardian was not only a translator but the inspired
Interpreter of the Holy
Writings; thus, where a passage in Persian or Arabic could give rise to
two different expressions in
English he would know which one to convey. Similarly he would
be much better equipped than
an average translator to know which metaphor to employ in
English to express a Persian
metaphor which might be meaningless in literal translation.
Thus,
in general, speakers of other European tongues will obtain a more accurate
translation by following the
Guardian’s English translation than by attempting at this stage in
Bahá’í history to translate
directly from the original.
This
does not mean, however, that the translators should not also check their
translations
with the original texts if
they are familiar with Persian or Arabic. There may be many instances
where the exact meaning of
the English text is unclear to them and this can be made evident by
comparison with the
original….
We
also feel that it is still premature to decide upon the question of the
International
Auxiliary Language. It is
quite clear from the Texts that any living or invented language may
be chosen, but the time and
manner of its choosing and propagation are not yet decided.
(8
December 1964, from a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [1]
A
translation should of course be as true as possible to the original while being
in the best
possible style of the
language into which it is being translated. However, you should realize
that it will not be possible
to translate the Tablets adequately into easy, modern Dutch. Many of
the original Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are written in very exalted and poetic
Persian and Arabic and
therefore a similar flavour should be attempted in the language into
which it is translated. You
will see, for example, that in translating the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
into English the beloved
Guardian has created a very beautiful and poetic style in English using
many words which might be
considered archaic and are reminiscent of the English used by the
translators of the King
James version of the Bible.
The Difficult Art of
Translation – Selected Extracts… 25
July 2002
Page 2
As
you point out, a literal translation is often a bad one because it can produce
a
phraseology of imagery that
would convey the wrong impression; thus, a translator is at times
compelled to convey the
meaning of the original by means of a form of words suited to the
language. However, a person
translating the Bahá’í Writings must always bear in mind that he
or she is dealing with the
Word of God, and, when striving to convey the meaning of the
original, he should exert
his utmost to make his rendering both faithful and befitting.
(29 October 1973, from a
letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer) [2]
Translation
is, indeed, a very difficult art, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained that, ideally,
all translations of the
Sacred Texts should be made by competent committees, rather than by
individuals. At the present
time, unfortunately, there is seldom in any country a large enough
number of sufficiently
skilled persons who can be called upon to constitute such committees,
and the institutions of the
Faith have to rely on the services of such individuals as they can find
with adequate time and skill
to undertake the arduous work of translation.
The
Writings of the Faith are not in the nature of scientific treatises. One must
remember
that the Manifestation of
God is using the inadequate instrument of human language to convey
truths and guidance which
can raise mankind high above its present level of development and
understanding. He makes
extensive use, therefore, of metaphor and simile, and often
approaches a subject from
several different points of view so that its various facets and
implications can be better
understood. It would not be possible, therefore, to compile a list of
meanings for specific
symbols, expressions and words, since they may vary in their implication
from passage to passage.
The
translation of a passage can seldom be an entirely faithful rendering of the
original—
one just has to strive to
make it as faithful and befitting as possible. At the present time many
of the translations of the
Writings fall far below the desirable standard, especially in those
languages spoken by a
relatively small number of Bahá’ís, but time and an increase in the
number of Bahá’ís who have a
profound understanding of the Teachings as well as an
exemplary command of the
languages concerned will enable new and improved translations to
be produced. For the time
being we must do what we can with what we have.
(8
September 1985, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual)
[3]
With
regard to your question about the style of English used in the translation of
Bahá’í
prayers, we are asked to
point out that finding an adequate style in English for expressing
beautifully the poetic,
metaphorical and allusive style of many of the Bahá’í Scriptures is not
easy. The Persian and Arabic
of the Bahá’í Writings are themselves considerably different from
the current styles and
usages in those languages. Shoghi Effendi’s solution of using a slightly
archaic form of English,
which is somewhat equivalent to the use in the original languages,
makes possible the use of
images and metaphors that might seem strange if expressed in
modern English.
Furthermore,
styles of writing are changing comparatively rapidly. If it were already
found necessary to use a
style different from that used for translations fifty years ago, one can
estimate that a further
change would be called for fifty years hence. One merely has to consider
the large number of new
translations of the Bible that have appeared, and are still appearing,
and yet many
English-speaking Christians prefer to continue using the Authorized Version in
The Difficult Art of
Translation – Selected Extracts… 25
July 2002
Page 3
spite of its proven
inaccuracies. Holy Scriptures have a profound meaning for their readers, and
to change the familiar words
too often can be gravely disturbing.
Books
of Scripture themselves mould the language in which they are written. The House
of Justice believes that if
translators strive to render the words of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá into English in
a way that reproduces as accurately as possible the meaning of the
originals, that is as
beautiful as possible, and that harmonizes closely with the style used by
Shoghi Effendi, these
Writings themselves will have a far-reaching effect on the ability of
Bahá’ís, and especially
Bahá’í children and youth, to use the English language effectively for
thought and for expression.
(3
February 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [4]
It
must be remembered that Shoghi Effendi’s translations carry with them a large
measure of interpretation of the intent and purpose of the Author of the text
he set about to translate—an interpretation which he, as Interpreter of the
Sacred Text, could alone authoritatively provide.
(27
February 1989, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
National
Spiritual Assembly) [5]
You
ask whether the translations of Shoghi Effendi should be considered as the
“standard”
and whether, because of his function as infallible interpreter, the
Guardian’s
translations provide “the true interpretation of the Writings”. We are
asked
to call attention to the Introduction to “The Kitáb-i-Aqdas” where the
Universal
House of Justice describes the essential qualities of the Guardian’s
translations
and the fact that they “are illumined by his uniquely inspired
understanding
of the purport and implications of the originals”.
(15
December 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individualbeliever) [6]
The
Universal House of Justice has received your letter dated 9 August 1999 in
which
you seek to know how soon
will the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh be published in “the common
language of standard English
to facilitate teaching”. We have been asked to respond as follows.
The
House of Justice appreciates your desire to make the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
accessible to your relatives
and others who may dismiss them as illogical because of the style in
which they are written.
Nevertheless, to attempt to express the highly poetic, metaphorical and
allusive terminology of the
Bahá’í Writings in plain, modern English would either be banal or
would render many of the
passages strange and foreign. The Guardian’s use of a style of
English that is slightly
archaic, a style in which there is an abundance of spiritual and poetic
terminology, acts as a
bridge between the English of today and the style of the Persian and
Arabic Writings of the
Founders of our Faith.
In
comparing the translation of the Bible with that of Bahá’í Texts, you may
realize that
the Hebrew of the Old
Testament is far more blunt and straightforward than the Persian and
Arabic of the Bahá’í
Writings. Additionally, the koine Greek of most of the New Testament is
the everyday speech of that
time. The challenges posed to translators of the Bahá’í Writings are
much more exacting than
those that confront translators of the Bible. It is therefore not
advisable to use one kind of
translation as a standard for the other.
The Difficult Art of
Translation – Selected Extracts… 25
July 2002
Page 4
Finally,
although it is not possible to translate the Writings in a manner that brings
them
in conformity with the
standards of common English, you may be confident that if the hearts of
those
to whom you present the Writings are ready, the style of the Sacred Texts will
not stand as
a barrier to their
understanding and accepting the teachings.
(2
September 1999, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual
believer) [7]
Importance of and Guidance on Translating
the Bahá’í Writings into Indigenous and Other Languages
Regarding
the translation of the Books and Tablets of the Blessed Beauty, erelong will
translations be made into
every tongue, with power, clarity and grace. At such time as they are
translated, conformably to
the originals, and with power and grace of style, the splendours of
their inner meanings will be
shed abroad, and will illumine the eyes of all mankind. Do thy
very best to ensure that the
translation is in conformity with the original.
(“Selections
from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”, number 31.13) [1]
It
is, of course, permissible to translate Bahá’í writings into other languages
and dialects
of languages. It is also
possible to simplify or paraphrase the Bahá’í writings in order to
facilitate their translation
into languages and dialects having small vocabularies. However, it is
not permissible to publish
simplifications and paraphrases of Bahá’í writings as Bahá’í
Scripture.
(13
March 1969 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [2]
With
the exception of certain oriental languages such as Turkish, Arabic and Urdu,
which
are related to the original
Persian or Arabic, new translations of the Sacred Text into languages
other than English must be
made from the Guardian’s English translation where it exists. When
there is no translation into
English by Shoghi Effendi of a particular passage, the National
Spiritual Assembly concerned
should seek the advice of the Universal House of Justice. When
translations already exist,
which are not made from the Guardian’s English text, but have been
published and approved, they
may be used.
(28
March 1971 to all National Spiritual Assemblies) [3]
The
point is well taken that it would unduly delay fundamental Bahá’i teachings
being
published in a number of
languages if we were to await the availability of Bahá’is competent to
make the translations.
Summaries, commentaries and simple re-statements of the Guardian’s
writings, provided the text
itself is not attributed to the Guardian, are to be encouraged.
(13 August 1972 to the Hands
of the Cause of God in the Holy Land) [4]
We
realise that translation is a very difficult task and that however good a translation
is
there are always differences
of opinion, both as to accuracy and style. However, in translating
Bahá’í Scripture it is
important to remember that the style in the original is an exalted one and
this aspect should not be
lost when it is translated into other languages. It can be noted, for
example, that when the
beloved Guardian was making his translations into English he used a
style that is far from being
that of modern English usage but is admirably suited to the richness
and imagery of the original.
(12
August 1973 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [5]
We have noticed a tendency
in a number of countries to attempt to translate Bahá’í
literature into the current,
easy, everyday language of the country. This, however, should not be
Importance of and Guidance
on Translating the Bahá’í
Writings into Indigenous and
Other Languages Page 2
an overriding consideration.
Many of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are in
exalted and highly poetic
language in the original Persian and Arabic and you will see, for
example, that when
translating Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings into English the beloved Guardian did
not use present-day
colloquial English but evolved a highly poetic and beautiful style, using
numbers of archaic
expressions reminiscent of the translations of the Bible.
(7 October 1973 to a
National Spiritual Assembly) [6]
As
to Counsellor …’s question in his letter of January 22, it may be pointed out
to him that the translation and recording of some of the Holy Writings into
native dialects not only helps the teaching work and pays honour to the native
languages, but also provides the way to achieve an objective established by the
Master and the beloved Guardian. Both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi often encouraged the
friends to memorize passages from the Writings and such a
practice acquires added
importance in areas where there is a shortage of printed literature or a
high degree of illiteracy.
Consequently, availability of passages from the Holy Writings in
native dialects is an important
aspect of a successful deepening programme.
(19
February 1975 memorandum to the International Teaching Centre) [7]
From Letters written on
behalf of the Universal House of Justice
In
most languages each word has a range of meanings and also a penumbra of
connotations. Certain of these overlap, giving rise to synonyms which are
interchangeable in some contexts but not in others. It is seldom that there is
an exact correspondence between the range of meanings and connotations of a
word in one language and those of its nearest equivalent in another language.
This lack of correspondence is particularly evident between the words of
languages used in widely separate parts of the world or in verydifferent
cultures.
The
House of Justice feels, therefore, that to construct a rigid list of Dutch
words which
are always used to translate
certain other English words would not only be unnecessary but
definitely misleading. As
the beloved Guardian pointed out, the word “Bahá” signifies at once
the “Glory”, the “Splendour”
and the “Light” of God; there is no single word in English
which can express all these.
Thus, as you have noted, it is translated as “Glory” in the use
“Bahá’u’lláh”, while in the
list of the months, where “Jalál”, the second month, is translated
“Glory”, “Bahá” is
translated “Splendour”. All translations are, to some degree, inadequate.
Those
who are entrusted with the task of translating the Sacred Writings from the
original
into English should study
the original very closely, and then attempt to express as accurately
and as beautifully as
possible in English that which the original conveys. To do this they
frequently have to use
various different synonyms in English to give the best translation of the
same Arabic or Persian word
when it appears in different contexts. Conversely, they may have
to use the same English word
in different contexts to translate various different words in the
original. In doing this they
attempt to follow the example set by Shoghi Effendi in his
magnificent translations.
The
House of Justice suggests that, although your committee should, of course,
follow
the instruction of the
Guardian to make your translations into Dutch from the English
translations rather than
from the original Persian or Arabic, you may find it helpful to consult
Persian believers who are
well-versed in Dutch and who could check with the original Texts for
Importance of and Guidance
on Translating the Bahá’í
Writings into Indigenous and
Other Languages Page 3
you. This could help you to
make the correct choice of word in Dutch when the English
wording seems ambiguous.
(31
May 1981 to a National Translation and Revision Committee) [8]
Translation
is, indeed, a very difficult art, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained that, ideally,
all translations of the
Sacred Texts should be made by competent committees, rather than by
individuals. At the present
time, unfortunately, there is seldom in any country a large enough
number of sufficiently
skilled persons who can be called upon to constitute such committees,
and the institutions of the
Faith have to rely on the services of such individuals as they can find
with adequate time and skill
to undertake the arduous work of translation.
The
Writings of the Faith are not in the nature of scientific treatises. One must
remember
that the Manifestation of
God is using the inadequate instrument of human language to convey
truths and guidance which
can raise mankind high above its present level of development and
understanding. He makes
extensive use, therefore, of metaphor and simile, and often
approaches a subject from
several different points of view so that its various facets and
implications can be better
understood. It would not be possible, therefore, to compile a list of
meanings for specific
symbols, expressions and words, since they may vary in their implication
from passage to passage.
The
translation of a passage can seldom be an entirely faithful rendering of the
original—
one just has to strive to
make it as faithful and befitting as possible. At the present time many
of the translations of the
Writings fall far below the desirable standard, especially in those
languages spoken by a
relatively small number of Bahá’ís, but time and an increase in the
number of Bahá’ís who have a
profound understanding of the Teachings as well as an
exemplary command of the
languages concerned will enable new and improved translations
to be produced. For the time
being we must do what we can with what we have.
(8 September 1985 to an
individual) [9]
With
regard to your question about the style of English used in the translation of
Bahá’í
prayers, we are asked to
point out that finding an adequate style in English for expressing
beautifully the poetic,
metaphorical and allusive style of many of the Bahá’í Scriptures is not
easy. The Persian and Arabic
of the Bahá’í Writings are themselves considerably different from
the current styles and
usages in those languages. Shoghi Effendi’s solution of using a slightly
archaic form of English,
which is somewhat equivalent to the use in the original languages,
makes possible the use of
images and metaphors that might seem strange if expressed in
modern English….
Books
of Scripture themselves mould the language in which they are written. The House
of Justice believes that if
translators strive to render the words of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá into English in
a way that reproduces as accurately as possible the meaning of the
originals, that is as
beautiful as possible, and that harmonizes closely with the style used by
Importance of and Guidance
on Translating the Bahá’í
Writings into Indigenous and
Other Languages Page 4
Shoghi Effendi, these
Writings themselves will have a far-reaching effect on the ability of
Bahá’ís, and especially
Bahá’í children and youth, to use the English language effectively for
thought and for expression.
(3 February 1988 to an
individual) [10]
Of
course the most fundamental requirement for the attainment of a good
translation is
the availability of a
translator who has not only a thorough understanding of the original
language, but also is able
to write in clear and beautiful French, so that he can re-express in
French not only the true
meaning of the original, but can clothe it in language which
appropriately reproduces in
the French idiom the beauty of style of the original. While a literal
translation is almost
inevitably a bad translation, the translator must guard against departing
from or adding to the
meaning of the original even though he may have to use a phrase to
translate a word, or reduce
a phrase in the original to one word in the French, or recast the order
of a sentence, or replace a
metaphor which would be meaningless if translated literally by an
equivalent one which conveys
the same meaning. In translating Shoghi Effendi’s writings in
particular you may find that
many of his long sentences, which are perfectly clear in English,
are impossible in French and
must be divided into shorter ones.
If
there is no French-speaking Bahá’í with the requisite command of both English
and
French, or if such friends
are over-burdened, you may most certainly employ non-Bahá’í
translators. Here, however,
you may face another problem, that of the translator’s
understanding of the Bahá’í
teachings which underlie the words. It would be essential for you
to have such translations
carefully checked by knowledgeable Bahá’ís, who can raise with the
translator any passages
which they feel convey the wrong meaning.
When
you are having any of the Sacred Texts translated on the basis of authorized
English translations, you
should involve in the work one or more Bahá’ís who are fluent in
French and are also familiar
with the original Arabic or Persian. Thus, when the translator finds
he is unable to grasp the
exact meaning of the English words, his understanding can be
illuminated by reference to
the original texts.
(2
December 1988 to a Bahá’í Publishing Trust) [11]
Translation
is indeed a difficult issue, and it is for this reason that the official
version of
the messages and letters of
the Universal House of Justice are sent in the original English. Any
translation offered is
unofficial and simply intended as an assistance to those who might wish to
avail themselves of it, and
National Spiritual Assemblies are free to make their own translation
in accordance with local
language needs. This also applies to the statement on Bahá’u’lláh
which the House of Justice
requested you to translate into Chinese.
(7
August 1991 to an individual) [12]
You
ask what is the purpose and wisdom of the translation of the Bahá’í Writings,
and
what is the philosophy
behind it.
As
you know, one of the principles of the Bahá’í Faith is for a single language to
be
adopted as the universal
auxiliary language of mankind, to be taught in the schools of all the
nations. When that time
comes, the need for so many translations will be greatly reduced, since
there will be one common
medium of communication for all who dwell on earth. Alas,
however, it will take some
time yet for the governments of the world to adopt such a farreaching
and fundamental measure.
Importance of and Guidance
on Translating the Bahá’í
Writings into Indigenous and
Other Languages Page 5
In
the meantime it is essential for the Bahá’ís to convey the Word of God to all
the
peoples of the world, as
quickly and as completely as possible. For this, translation is essential.
The Writings of the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh are, as you know, in Arabic and Persian, as are those
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who also
wrote some Tablets in Turkish. Shoghi Effendi, for his part, wrote
many of his most important
works in English. To expect the Japanese Bahá’ís to learn Arabic,
Persian and English
sufficiently well to really understand the Bahá’í literature in those three
tongues would be too great a
demand. Fortunately, there is already a wealth of the Arabic and
Persian Writings translated
into English, but even if the friends’ command of English is
sufficiently good for them
to fully comprehend such Writings, there is an important emotional
and psychological advantage
to their being able to read the Word of God in their own mothertongue. Thus we
engage in translating the Writings into even tribal languages which have quite
a small number of native speakers.
(14
December 1992 to an individual) [13]
Your
letter of 9 May concerning the translation of Bahá’í literature into Georgian
has
been received and we have
been instructed to reply as follows.
You have asked whether
Bahá’í literature should be translated from English or Russian.
In principle, the desirable
course is to translate from English, as the English translations have
been made by the Guardian or
authorized by the Bahá’í World Centre. If this is not practical at
the moment, then provisional
translations can be made from Russian until such time as proper
translations from English
can be prepared. Such a solution is far better than waiting and being
without Bahá’í literature in
the native tongue of your region.
(23
May 1995 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [14]
Equally
important is the right of the members of indigenous populations to learn,
speak,
write and communicate in
their native tongue, if they so wish, in addition to the official
language of the country in
which they reside, for language is the expression of the spirit of a
people and the vehicle of
its cohesive and inspiring traditions. Facility in one’s native language
in addition to the official
language of one’s country can produce an enrichment of the heritage
of the entire people and can
act as a stabilizing influence in society, while the cultural
oppression which seeks to obliterate
minority languages can have a deracinating and
demoralizing effect that
will be very difficult to correct. Furthermore, Bahá’ís advocate the
development or adoption of
an international auxiliary language by which all the peoples of all
countries and cultural
backgrounds will be able to communicate.
(25
July 1995 to an individual) [15]
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF
JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT
Bahá’í World Centre • P.O. Box 155 • 31 001 Haifa, Israel
Tel: 972 (4) 835 8358 • Fax: 972 (4) 835 8280 • Email:
secretariat@bwc.org
15 August 2002
Transmitted by email:
nsonger@sc.rr.com
Mrs. Nancy Branham Songer
U.S.A.
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
The
Universal House of Justice has received your email dated 28 July 2002, and
referred it to our
Department for response. In answer to your request for materials on universal
auxiliary language and
universal language, we are providing for your use two documents which
address these general
concepts, namely, an extract from a Research Department memorandum
dated 7 July 1994, and its
attachment entitled “The Principle of an International Auxiliary
Language”. You may also find
of interest the enclosed documents “International Auxiliary
Language”, providing
references to this topic in the Bahá’í writings, and “Bahá’í World Centre
Library: A Partial
Bibliography of Published Works on an Auxiliary Language”, which lists
some papers by Bahá’ís on
this subject.
Regarding
your request for guidance on translating the Bahá’í Writings, we trust that the
Research Department’s
memorandum dated 25 July 2002, and its accompanying enclosures,
which were previously sent
to you by email, will provide ample information on this topic.
You
have asked that email attachments be sent to you in a form other than
Portable Document Format
(PDF), such as Microsoft Word format. As it is the practice for
communications from the
Bahá’í World Centre to be sent in only two formats, namely, plain
text (ASCII) and PDF, we
regret that we are unable to provide electronic copies of the above
documents in any other form.
We
hope that you will be able to glean adequate information from these materials
to assist you in your endeavors to make a presentation at the upcoming
Association for Bahá’í Studies conference.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
Enclosures
Extract from a Research Department memorandum dated 7 July 1994
The
Research Department has studied the questions concerning an international
auxiliary
language raised by.... He
expresses the view that there is an urgent need for the world to adopt
an international auxiliary
language and for the Bahá’ís to be in the forefront of helping to make
this a reality. He indicates
a willingness to spend time researching and promoting this
undertaking, and to this
end, he raises a number of issues about the nature of such a language,
its promotion and its
relationship to the Lesser Peace....
1. An International Auxiliary Language
We
attach a compilation of extracts entitled “The Principle of an International Auxiliary
Language” which addresses,
in broad terms, the issues raised by Mr. ... and which serves as the
basis for the comments which
follow. There are, of course, many other references in the
published Writings and in
the talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His travels in the West, many
of which were collected in
Paris Talks and The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Additional
talks on this subject can be
found in a number of the volumes of Star of the West, for example:
volume
III, no. 3, pp. 23-24
volume
III, no. 19, p. 5
volume
IV, no. 2, pp. 34-37
In addition, there is a
chapter on the universal language in Payám-i-Malakút, a compilation
prepared by Mr.
Ishráq-Khávarí. Some of the Persian friends living in ... would, undoubtedly,
have a copy of this book.
1.1
Degree of Priority?
With
regard to the role of the Bahá’ís in promoting an international auxiliary
language,
Mr. ... enquires about the
degree of priority that the believers should give to this activity at this
point in time. We call
attention to the following points, gleaned from the attached compilation:
-
Shoghi Effendi underlines the importance of an international auxiliary
language. In a
letter
dated 24 April 1939, written on his behalf, he refers to it as “an
indispensable
element
in the upbuilding of the coming New World Order”.
-
The Guardian summarizes the “whole question of an international language and
its
relation
to the Faith” in the following extract from a letter dated 17 October 1944,
written
on
his behalf to an individual believer:
We,
as Bahá’ís, are very anxious to see a universal auxiliary tongue adopted as
soon as possible; we are not the protagonists of any one language to fill this
post. If the Governments of the world should agree on an existing language, or
a constructed, new tongue, to be used internationally, we would heartily
support it because we desire to see this step in the unification of the human
race take place as soon as possible.
-
The Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 2 June 1982 written on its behalf
indicated
that “the important thing now ... is for the Bahá’ís to promote the principle”
of
an
international auxiliary language. It invited individual believers, who have “a
particular
interest
in this subject” and who feel so inclined, to study Esperanto.
-
With regard to overall priorities, in a letter dated 2 March 1976 written on
its behalf, the
Universal
House of Justice stressed the importance of “teaching the Cause and winning
the
goals of the ... Plan”.
1.2
The Nature of an International Auxiliary Language
Mr.
... enquires whether the Universal House of Justice sees the immediate need for
creating or adopting a
complex language, suited to “the exchange of ideas and the advancement
of understanding at
scientific, technological, commercial, literary and translation levels,” or the
development of “truly a
universal ‘second language’” that would enable people “to
communicate on a merely
social level”. We wish to note that, in the first instance, the
governments of the world
will select the international auxiliary language. See section 1.3
below for a discussion of
the timing of the adoption of an international language.
In
a more general sense, Mr . ...’s question impinges on the subject of the nature
of an
international auxiliary
language. Though the extracts contained in the attached compilation
deal mostly with Esperanto,
they appear to shed some light on the potential complexity of and
the functions which such a
language might be expected to serve. For example:
-
Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, appears to have regarded
Esperanto as
a
vehicle for “introducing the Teachings into important social and intellectual
circles”
(28
May 1937). He called upon the believers “to learn it and to translate Bahá’í
literature
into
it” (17 October 1944), and he recognized its value in fostering “unity and
understanding”
(5 April 1947).
-
‘Abdu’l-Bahá envisaged the development of a language “more complete” than
Esperanto,as it existed at that time. The Guardian indicated that the
international language of thefuture was to serve as “an international medium of
communication” (26 December 1936), as “a medium of exchange between the nations
and peoples of the world” (4 June 1937). And, the Universal House of Justice
indicated that it would “be used in all international commerce” (8 June 1980).
The
following two extracts from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi ... are
also of
interest as they were
responses to questions from individuals about the suitability of specific
languages to serve as an
auxiliary language. The final sentence of the first excerpt appears to
contain a general principle
to guide the selection of an international language:
He
was interested in your efforts to make the English language, which undoubtedly
is
the most generally spoken and widely understood, the world’s auxiliary
language, and
we
must wait and see how other European nations receive it. Of course as you had
well
put
it, the mere existence of prejudice is no ar gument against the possibility of
making an existing language universal. The world must try to overcome its many
defects and not
reinforce
it. Perhaps the main consideration in future will be the specific qualities of
a
language
as being exact, rich and easy to learn for both East and West.
(18 May 1928 to an individual believer)
Regarding
your question of “Basic English’s” usefulness as an international
language: He is not very
familiar with it, as he is too preoccupied with the tremendous
amount of work he has to do
here. But what little he has read about it makes him doubt
whether it would ever be
adequate to meet the requirements of an auxiliary tongue.
(30
June 1944 to an individual believer)
1.3
Relationship to the Lesser Peace
Mr.
... asks whether the adoption of an international auxiliary language will be
one of “the most important steps that needs to be taken to bring about the
Lesser Peace” or whether it will be adopted “as a result of the process of
establishing such a political peace”. Before addressing this issue it is
important to consider the way in which the international auxiliary language
will be adopted. In a letter dated 8 June 1980 written on its behalf to an
individual believer ... the Universal House of Justice calls attention to two
stages in this process:
...there
are two different provisions in the Sacred Texts for the selection of an
International
Auxiliary Language. On the one hand, this task is given to the governments
of
the world, on the other it is given to the House of Justice. It is not possible
now to
foresee
exactly how this will come about, but it would seem reasonable to suppose that,
long
before the Bahá’í community is large enough or can exercise the authority to
produce
such a world-embracing change, events will compel the governments, either
progressively
or all in concert, to select an International Auxiliary Language to be taught
as
a second language in all schools and to be used in all international commerce.
At a
much
later stage, possibly at the time of the Bahá’í World Commonwealth, the
Universal
House
of Justice may well decide to review the situation and either confirm the
decision
that
the governments had made, or change the choice to a more suitable language.
As
to whether the adoption of an international auxiliary language is a
prerequisite to the
Lesser Peace, the Research
Department has not been able to locate any clear statement in the
Bahá’í Writings that relates
specifically to this question. It is, however, interesting to note that
the Universal House of
Justice in the Peace Statement identifies a “fundamental lack of
communication between
peoples” as a factor which “seriously undermines efforts towards
world
peace”. And the House of Justice indicates that the adoption of an
international auxiliary
language “would go far to
resolving this problem and necessitates the most urgent attention”.
The
difficulties of international communication in a polyglot world are strikingly
evident
to any Bahá’í who has gone
travel teaching to foreign lands or has attended international
conferences. The Universal
House of Justice feels that for it to choose any language for the
Bahá’ís to use as an
international auxiliary language would give rise to greater difficulties than
would thereby be solved at
the present time. The friends, however, remembering that this is
one of the very important
principles of the Faith, would do well to support the concept
whenever possible, and to
pray that the time is not far removed when the governments of the
nations will adopt a single
language to be taught in all the schools of the world as an auxiliary
to the pupils’
mother-tongue. This compilation has been prepared at the World Centre of the
Faith, on instruction of the
Universal House of Justice, to assist the friends everywhere to arrive
at a greater understanding
of this principle, to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed Himself in a
number of His talks in the
West.
Thou
hast written regarding the language of Esperanto. This language will be spread
and
universalized to a certain
degree, but later on a language more complete than this, or the same
language will undergo some
changes and alterations and will be adopted and become universal.
I hope that Dr. Zamenhof may
become assisted by the invisible confirmation and do a great
service to the world of
humanity.
(Tablets
of Abdul-Baha Abbas, vol. 3 (Chicago: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1930
printing),
p. 692) [1]
As
to the Esperantists, associate with them. Whenever you find one with capacity,
convey to him the fragrances
of Life.... It is evident that the Esperantists are receptive and thou
art familiar with and expert
in their language. Communicate also with the Esperantists of
Germany and other places....
Grieve not over the apathy and coldness of the Hague meeting.
Put thy trust in God. Our
hope is that among the people the Esperanto language may hereafter
have a powerful effect. Thou
hast now sown the seed. Assuredly it will grow. Its growth
dependeth upon God.
(Selections
from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982),
sec.
228, p. 308) [2]
What Bahá’u’lláh says is
that the Supreme House of Justice will appoint a committee that will
study the whole matter and
then either choose one of the existing languages or create a new
one, to function as an
international language. The Master never went beyond that, i.e. He never
tried to solve the problem
Himself and choose that language. He still leaves it to the Supreme
House of Justice. But He
says that Esperanto will spread and even went so far as to encourage
all the friends who possibly
can to study it. In fact the knowledge of Esperanto has proven very
useful for one who tries to
teach in different countries of the world. But whether Esperanto will
become the
international language which is to be a part of our religious and social duties
to
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 2
study, no one knows, and we
have no evidence that the Master made any definite statement
along that line. The Master
has scarcely ever assumed the solution of a problem that
Bahá’u’lláh has referred to
the Supreme House of Justice. Esperanto may become an
international language, but
it depends upon the House of Justice to choose it as the international
language. And no one is in a
position to foretell.
(30
August 1928 to an individual believer) [3]
As
to your suggestion regarding a more widespread use of Esperanto among the
Bahá’ís
as a medium of correspondence,
Shoghi Effendi, as you know, has been invariably encouraging
the believers, both in the
East and in the West, to make an intensive study of that language, and
to consider it as an
important medium for the spread of the Cause in international circles. He
has been specially urging
the friends to have the Cause well represented in all Esperanto
Congresses and associations,
and by this means cultivate greater friendship and co-operation
between them and the
Esperantists.
But
in this connection, he feels, he must make it clear that although the Cause
views with
much sympathy and
appreciation the activities which the Esperantists are increasingly initiating
for the spread of their
language, yet it considers that the adoption of Esperanto by the entire
world is by no means an inevitable
fact. Neither Bahá’u’lláh, nor even ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ever
stated that Esperanto will
be the international auxiliary language. The Master simply expressed
the hope that it may,
provided certain conditions were fulfilled, develop into such a medium.
(3
August 1935 to an individual believer) [4]
Concerning
your study of Esperanto: the Guardian does not feel it advisable that you get
too busy introducing any
changes in that language, as this is not only a type of activity for
which you are not qualified,
but is also void of any use or advantage as far as your Bahá’í work
is concerned, in view of the
fact that it is by no means certain that Esperanto will necessarily
develop into the world
auxiliary language referred to by Bahá’u’lláh in His writings.
(17
April 1936 to an individual believer) [5]
Regarding
the teaching of Esperanto: the Guardian thoroughly appreciates the efforts you
are exerting for the spread
of this language, and fully realizes that through them you can find
many openings for teaching
the Cause. He wishes me, however, to bring to your attention the
fact that neither
Bahá’u’lláh nor ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did specifically state that Esperanto would
certainly become the
international auxiliary language of the future. Neither did they enjoin its
teaching upon the believers.
What ‘Abdu’l-Bahá chiefly did was to highly praise it, and to
reveal its possibilities.
The teaching of Esperanto is, therefore, not a command or an obligation
in the sense that praying is
for instance. What is enjoined by Bahá’u’lláh is either the creation
of a new language, or the
adoption of one of the existing languages for use as an international
medium of communication. Let
us hope that Esperanto may some day develop into such a
medium.
(26
December 1936 to an individual believer) [6]
As
to your question as to what constitutes indirect teaching: it essentially
consists in
presenting some of the
humanitarian or social teachings of the Cause which are shared by those
whom we are teaching, as a
means of attracting them to those aspects of the Faith which are
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 3
more challenging in
character, and are specifically and solely Bahá’í. The teaching of
Esperanto, for instance, has
been a very useful way of presenting the Cause indirectly to many
people. It has opened many
doors of contact for the believers, and has lately proved to be of
tremendous help in
introducing the Teachings into important social and intellectual circles.
(28
May 1937 to an individual believer)
[7]
Regarding
the subject of Esperanto: it should be made clear to the believers that while
the teaching of that
language has been repeatedly encouraged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá there is no
reference either from Him or
from Bahá’u’lláh that can make us believe that it will necessarily
develop into the
international auxiliary language of the future. Bahá’u’lláh has specified in
His
Writings that such a
language will have either to be chosen from one of the existing languages,
or an entirely new one
should be created to serve as a medium of exchange between the nations
and peoples of the world.
Pending this final choice, the Bahá’ís are advised to study Esperanto
only in consideration of the
fact that the learning of this language can considerably facilitate
intercommunication between
individuals, groups and Assemblies throughout the Bahá’í world
in the present stage of the
evolution of the Faith.
(4
June 1937 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [8]
One
thing, however, the Guardian feels the believers should be very careful to
avoid in all such contacts with the Esperantists: namely that of giving them
the impression that they
consider Esperanto as
necessarily constituting that international auxiliary language of the future
referred to by Bahá’u’lláh
and stressed by Him as an indispensable element in the upbuilding of
the coming New World Order.
To
give them such a false conception of the true Bahá’í attitude regarding the
choice of
the future world
international language would not only be an act of dishonesty and disloyalty
towards the Cause, but would
lead to serious misunderstandings and misapprehensions, and
eventually result in
counteracting the effect of any temporary gains or advantages which may
accrue to the Faith through
such association and contacts with the Esperantists.
It
is not so much that language as the central idea it embodies and inculcates
which the
Bahá’ís endorse, and only
through keeping firm to such an attitude can they hope to establish
any fruitful and enduring
contacts with various Esperanto groups and associations throughout
the world.
(24
April 1939 to an individual believer) [9]
He
feels that this is a very important opportunity which you have now obtained of
teaching the Faith to the
Eskimo people, and he hopes your efforts will be crowned with
success.
He
would not advise you to teach them Esperanto, as we have no way of knowing
whether it will ultimately
be chosen as the auxiliary language of the world. He thinks the most
direct and quickest way of
communicating with them in a common tongue should be chosen; in
other words either you
should learn their language or they yours, whichever will yield the
quickest results.
(12
December 1942 to an individual believer) [10]
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 4
We
have no authentic record of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s in which He states that Esperanto will
be
the universal language of
the future. It may be Esperanto, it may be some other language, we
do not know; but as we believe
so firmly in the necessity of an international language, we are
always eager to co-operate
with the Esperantists.
The
thing of primary importance at present, especially in America, is the teaching
of the
Cause. With good will and
determination an auxiliary language—especially one of the nature
of Esperanto—can easily, and
relatively quickly, be learned; whereas the Cause requires that
people change not only
certain ideas but their very characters and habits, and this is much
harder to do and often takes
a long time!
(25
January 1943 to an individual believer) [11]
Regarding
the whole question of an international language and its relation to the Faith:
We, as Bahá’ís, are very
anxious to see a universal auxiliary tongue adopted as soon as
possible; we are not the
protagonists of any one language to fill this post. If the Governments
of the world should agree on
an existing language, or a constructed, new tongue, to be used
internationally, we would
heartily support it because we desire to see this step in the unification
of the human race take place
as soon as possible.
Esperanto
has been in wide use, more so than any similar language, all over the world,
and the Bahá’ís have been
encouraged by both the Master and the Guardian to learn it and to
translate Bahá’í literature
into it. We cannot be sure it will be the chosen international language
of the future; but as it is
the one which has spread most, both East and West, we should
certainly continue to
co-operate with its members, learn to speak it and translate Bahá’í
literature into it.
He
feels you can rest assured that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement, made in Paris, was
prompted by His insight and wisdom and not due to the opinions of anyone else.
Naturally the money of the
Cause should not be spent on translating and publishing
literature in international
languages that have no following worth mentioning!
(17
October 1944 to an individual believer) [12]
He
feels that the subject of the Bahá’í work in Esperanto in Germany is a matter
for you
to take up with the National
Spiritual Assembly; we Bahá’ís do not claim Esperanto will be the
auxiliary language of the
future—but, as we firmly believe in the necessity of an auxiliary
language, we are glad to
support this work by publishing books in Esperanto and encouraging
the Bahá’ís to learn it, if
they wish to. Co-operation with this society is an excellent means of
spreading the Cause, as
Martha Root demonstrated in her travels. However, all details in this
matter must be decided by
the National Spiritual Assembly. You can contact Bahá’í
Esperantists in England and
the U.S.A. through their respective National Spiritual Assemblies.
(29
July 1946 to an individual believer) [13]
Regarding
your question about the Esperantists: for many years they have been one of
our closest contacts in
Europe, and many of them have become believers. They are working for
one of our greatest
principles, and we certainly should associate with them. In Germany the
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 5
Bahá’ís published an
Esperanto magazine, and Martha Root represented the Cause at Esperanto
congresses. We cannot say we
are sure this language will be the international one, but we are
anxious to see it spread as
it fosters unity and understanding. By all means foster your contact
with them. Whether Esperanto
will be chosen as the international language or not we cannot
say, but we can say we hope
it will spread because it nearly fulfils such a noble purpose.
(5
April 1947 to an individual believer) [14]
He
was also very pleased to see the contact with the Esperantists is being
maintained.
This friendly co-operation
with them, and attendance at their Congresses, is very good, and will
no doubt bring the Bahá’í
Cause to many of their members’ attention. Also, he hopes, it will
lead to many of them
becoming Bahá’ís in the future.
(24
March 1949 to an individual believer) [15]
From letters written by or on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
Your
letter of 9 ‘AImat, 128 expressing your feeling that the endorsement by the
Universal House of Justice
of an international auxiliary language for Bahá’í conventions would
not prejudice any future
World Government in its choice of world-wide tongue for official use,
and that Esperanto is widely
used by clerical, businessmen’s and scientific conventions, has
been received.
Regarding
your first comment, inasmuch as Bahá’u’lláh has said that the Supreme House
of Justice will appoint a
committee that will study the whole matter and then either choose one
of the existing languages or
create a new one to function as an international language, when
such a choice shall have
been made the action will automatically constitute an endorsement of
the chosen auxiliary
language.
With
reference to Esperanto, we share with you an excerpt from a letter written on
behalf
of the beloved Guardian by
his secretary to an individual in 1937:
The
interest which the Bahá’ís have and should have in this language is essentially
because
of the vital significance of the idea it represents rather than the belief in
its
inherent
worth as a suitable and adequate international medium of expression.
The
Bahá’ís indeed welcome Esperanto as the first experiment of its kind in
modern
times. They are in full sympathy with the Esperantists in so far as they stress
the
absolute
necessity for the creation of an international language to be studied by all
the
peoples
of the world in addition to their respective national languages.
As
to the most propitious time for the choosing of an international auxiliary
language, we
feel that it is not feasible
for the House of Justice to make the choice at this time.
(8
June 1971 to an individual believer) [16]
We have consulted about your
joint proposal for the formation of a League of Bahá’í
Esperantists, a “Bahá’í
Esperantista Ligo” (BEL), and have sought the advice of the Hand of
the Cause Adelbert
Mühlschlegel because of his long interest in Esperanto as an approach to
overcoming the language
obstacles which confront the world. He is enthusiastic. And we
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 6
concur that such a League
would be helpful to the Faith as well as providing a useful channel
for teaching Esperantists
the world over.
1.
You are free to name the League as you have suggested. The significance of the
initials is a happy sign.
2.
Responsibility for the League will be exercised by the National Spiritual
Assembly of
the country in which the
secretariat is established. You have suggested that, at the outset, the
secretariat of the new
League might be in Brazil, under Professor Paul Amorim Cardoso as
Secretary. In that case the
National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil will assume jurisdiction of the
League in whatever ways may
be required during Professor Cardoso’s tenure.
3.
Whenever there are Esperantist events, congresses and the like, in various
lands, the
National Assemblies of those
countries should be informed of the prospective Bahá’í
participation, their
permission requested and their instructions followed with respect to any
Bahá’í activities at the
congresses. For example, for the forthcoming Universala Esperanto-
Kongreso in Belgrade, you
should seek the advice and follow the guidance of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Austria, which has jurisdiction over Bahá’í activities in
Yugoslavia, as well as in
Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
4.
You may, of course, publish whatever literature in Esperanto the League will be
able to
afford, remembering that
each publication must be reviewed and approved by the National
Spiritual Assembly in whose
area it is to be published. Such an Assembly may well, of course,
use members of the League to
review the translations. We ourselves shall bear in mind the need
for increased literature in
Esperanto, but the needs for literature in so many languages is
pressing and we cannot hold
out hope of providing any considerable amount of financial
assistance at this time.
5.
A request for special messages by National Assemblies or by the Universal House
of
Justice may be made by the
League as a part of its function of dissemination of the name and
principles of the Faith.
Your
zeal on behalf of Esperanto as a functional international language will, we
feel, be
well rewarded by the entry
into the Faith of many of your Esperantist associates who will thus
take the step from
universality in language to the greater universalities of one religion and one
mankind. We assure you of
our prayers for your labors on behalf of our matchless Cause.
(19
March 1973 to a group of Bahá’í Esperantists) [17]
As
English and Persian are the two official languages of the Universal House of
Justice
we regret that we cannot
write to you in Esperanto but we will be glad to enclose an Esperanto
translation of our letter
for you in view of the fact that you do not understand English well. We
hope that it will be
possible for Mr. Habibullah Taherzadeh to make such translations if his time
allows.
With
regard to the enquiry in your letter of 11 Jalál, our understanding of the aim
of the
Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo when we
agreed to its formation was that it was to be an official nonneutral department
of the Universal Esperanto Association comprising those Esperantists who
are also Bahá’ís with the
aim of encouraging collaboration among such friends and promoting
the Bahá’í teachings among
their fellow Esperantists.
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 7
While
individual Bahá’í Esperantists are, of course, free to encourage their fellow
Bahá’ís to study Esperanto this should not be an activity of the Bahaa
Esperanto-Ligo and it should be borne in mind that whereas it is clear that the
Bahá’í Faith upholds the principle of an
international auxiliary
language no decision as to which language this shall be has yet been
made.
(10
May 1974 to the Secretary of the Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo) [18]
Further
to our letter to you of 2 December 1974, and with reference to your question on
the world language, the
Universal House of Justice has asked us to draw your attention to the
statement of Bahá’u’lláh in
the Eighth Leaf of the Exalted Paradise (see Bahá’í World Faith, p.
182): “We have formerly
declared that speech was decreed to be in two languages, and that
there should be an effort to
reduce it into one.”
When
the beloved Guardian was asked by an individual believer about the meaning of
this passage, his secretary
gave the following reply on his behalf:
What
Bahá’u’lláh is referring to in the Eighth Leaf of the Exalted Paradise is a far
distant
time, when the world is really one country, and one language would be a
sensible
possibility.
It does not contradict His instructions as to the need immediately for an
auxiliary
language.
(29 December 1974 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [19]
The
House of Justice instructs us to say in reply to Mr. ...’s letter to the Local
Spiritual
Assembly of ... that he
should be advised that the time has not yet come for the Universal
House of Justice to take any
such step as he suggests. There is no doubt of the vital importance
of the establishment of a
universal language and it will inevitably come about but the believers
have more urgent matters to
attend to at the present and are asked to concentrate on teaching the
Cause and winning the goals
of the Five Year Plan.
(2
March 1976 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [20]
The
House of Justice realizes that you must sometimes be faced with somewhat
embarrassing situations in
relation to your fellow-Esperantists since, as Bahá’ís, you are fully
aware that, for all its
undoubted qualities, Esperanto may well not be the international language
that is ultimately chosen,
and that it is the concept of an international language that the Bahá’ís
are enthusiastic in
supporting rather than any particular solution to the problem.
The
Guardian’s advice that Bahá’ís must be entirely open about this matter in
relation to
Esperantists so as to avoid
serious misunderstandings and misapprehensions in the future will
no doubt be of great
assistance to you in your work and enable you to forge ahead with full
enthusiasm without, in any
way, appearing to sail under false colors.
(6
October 1976 to the Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo) [21]
You
are quite correct in stating that there are two different provisions in the
Sacred Texts
for the selection of an
International Auxiliary Language. On the one hand, this task is given to
the governments of the
world, on the other it is given to the House of Justice. It is not possible
THE PRINCIPLE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Page 8
now to foresee exactly how
this will come about, but it would seem reasonable to suppose that,
long before the Bahá’í
community is large enough or can exercise the authority to produce such
a world-embracing change,
events will compel the governments, either progressively or all in
concert, to select an International
Auxiliary Language to be taught as a second language in all
schools and to be used in
all international commerce. At a much later stage, possibly at the time
of the Bahá’í World
Commonwealth, the Universal House of Justice may well decide to review
the situation and either
confirm the decision that the governments had made, or change the
choice to a more suitable
language.
Of
course, conditions may produce a development very different from the one just
outlined. One of the
characteristics of Bahá’í Administration is its flexibility which enables it
to deal with unforeseen
developments and continually changing conditions. The one certain
thing about the choice of an
International Auxiliary Language is that the Universal House of
Justice does not judge the
present time propitious for it to take any action in this regard.
(8
June 1980 to an individual believer) [22]
It is not yet timely for the
House of Justice to make a pronouncement in favour of any particular
language—the important thing
now, in this particular field, is for Bahá’ís to promote the
principle. Learning
Esperanto, or one of the other proposed auxiliary languages, brings one
into touch with people all
over the world who are conscious of the need, who are internationally
minded, and who may well be
attracted to the Faith. Therefore, if you have a particular interest
in this subject and an
inclination to study Esperanto, you should feel no inhibitions about doing
so.
(2
June 1982 to an individual believer) [23]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talks on this
subject are found as follows:
Paris Talks pp.
155–157
Promulgation of Universal
Peace
(1982 ed.) 60–61, 182, 232–233, 300,
318, 434–435
Star of the West
Vol. III, no. 3, pp. 23-24 Message to the Esperantists, 25
April 1912
Also vol. XI, no. 18, p. 304
Vol. III, no. 19, p. 5 Report
of comments made to the president
of the Esperantists of
England
Vol. IV, no. 2, pp. 34–36 Address delivered in Edinburgh on
7 January 1913
Vol. IV, no. 2, pp. 36–37 Address delivered in Paris on
12 February 1912
The following references are
to be found in other Bahá’í Writings:
Gleanings (U.S. ed.) pp.
249–250
Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf 138
Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh 22, 68, 89, 127, 165–166
Bahá’í World Faith 288
Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Vol. III 596
God Passes By 211, 218
World Order of Bahá’u’lláh 203
BAHA’I WORLD CENTRE LIBRARY
A PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLISHED WORKS
ON AN AUXILIARY LANGUAGE 3
September 1991
Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo. Ask
a question, get an answer, about the world inter-language
Esperanto. —[Rotterdam, Netherlands]
: Bahaa Esperanto Ligo, [1988]—[3] leaves.
Conference on Language in
Religion (1987 : Paramus, N.J.) Language in religion / papers from
a conference sponsored by
the Center for Research and Documentation on World Language
Problems (Rotterdam and New
York) ; edited by Humphrey Tonkin and Allison Keef. —New
York : Center for Research
and Documentation on World Language Problems, 1988—[2], 141
leaves.
Dale, John. Unity and a
universal language : world means to world peace / by John Dale.—
Ceará Brazilo : Eldono de
Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo, 1976—30 p.
Dale, John. Unueco kaj
universala lingvo : mondrimedoj al monpaco / de John Dale ; trduko
de Roan Orloff Stone.
—Ceará, Brazil : Eldono de la Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo, 1976—29 p.
[Unity and a universal
language. Esperanto]
Davidson, John A. World
peace through world language / by John A. Davidson. --In: Bahá’í
Studies Conference (6th :
Brisbane, Qld.). Proceedings of the Bahá’í Studies Conference,
1987 : [Willeton, W.A.] :
The Association for Bahá’í Studies (Australian Committee), 1987—
153 p.
Esperanto language and the
Bahá’í Faith
/ compiled by Habib’u’llah Zabihian. —Espoo,
Finland : [Zabihian], 1983—3
leaves.
Esslemont, Peter. Wanted,
universal language : the story of Esperanto.
-- In: Outlook, the voice of
the Brotherhood Movement, (Apr. 1956), pp. 3–4.
Esslemont, Peter. Zamenhof
and Esperanto / by Peter Esslemont. --Sandgate, U.K. : Edmund
Ward Pub. Ltd., [between
1945 and 1960]—[16] p.
Gaskell, R.F. The
International auxiliary language situation / by R.F. Gaskell.—In: Bahá’í
Studies Conference (5th :
Yerrinbool, N.S.W.). Proceedings of the Bahá’í Studies Conference,
1986 : [Willeton, W.A.] :
The Association for Bahá’í Studies (Australian Committee),
[1987]—122 p.
Heller, Wendy, 1949-. Universal
language, a Baha’i perspective / Wendy Heller. —[United
States : Heller, 1987]—10
leaves.
National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Tonga. The Baha’i viewpoint - a universal
language = Ko e vakai ‘a e tui
Baha’i : lea ‘e taha ma’a mamani. —Nuku’alofa : National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís
of Tonga, [1988]—[2] p.
Pettersen, Arild. The
Baha’i Faith and universal language. —[Brooklyn, N.Y. : Pettersen],
1987—15 leaves.
Published
Works on an Auxiliary Language
Semple, Ian, 1928-. An
International auxiliary language / Ian Semple. –In : English today
(Cambridge, U.K.), no.9
(Jan. 1987), pp. 18–19.
Shahrokh, Roya June. Proposal
for the Bahá’ís to initiate the process for the selection of the
international auxiliary
language by the governments of the world / Ms. Roya June Shahrokh.
—Fair Oaks, Calif. :
Shahrokh, 1989 --14, [2] p.
Symposium on Bahá’í
Education (Birmingham, U.K.), 2nd. Trends in Bahá’í education :
proceedings of the second
symposium on Bahá’í education, Birmingham 1989 / edited by
Hooshang Nikjoo. —London :
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, c1990—vii, 238 p. ; 24 cm.
Witzel, Donald R. The
Movement towards a universal auxiliary language,
1532-1977 / by Donald R. Witzel.
—Maracaibo, Venezuela : Witzel, 1977 --i-ii, 46, iii-iv
leaves.
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