Translations

This is a list of various items I have translated (or helped translate) from Persian and Arabic into English. All word counts have been rounded off to the nearest tenth and should thus be regarded as estimates.

Provisional Translations of Baháʼí Texts (What Are Provisional Translations?)

An alternative to the list below is this regularly updated spreadsheet, among the many advantages of which are that the various data points can be sorted and filters applied to pare down the number of items shown. 

Book Chapters and Contributions

  • Zia Eblaghi, Gul-háy-i-‘Ishq dar Shúrih-zár-i-Tárík [“Flowers of Love in Dark Barren Lands”]. Contributed original-language typescripts and provisional translations of eight Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and seven letters written by Núru’d-Dín Zayn on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf. Mostly Persian, some Arabic. 2280 words. Original-language text and English translation both forthcoming. Translations completed March 2023.
  • Farsheed Ferdowsi, Under the Staircase: A Martyr’s Journey (Nashville, Tennessee: Jazab Press, 2022). Contributed provisional translations of portions of one Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (pp. 437–38), as well as a complete translation of one letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi (pp. 87–88). Persian. 500 words. Translations completed October 2021.
  • “The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,” “The Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” and “The Letters of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause of God.” Provisional translations of seven Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh (two of which are very lengthy), thirty Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and three letters written by (or on behalf of) Shoghi Effendi addressed to the Bahá’ís of Jásb—most of these heretofore unpublished—constituting three chapters originally published in Manuchehr Roohani, Dievan-i-Ishq, pp. 1–53. Persian, Arabic, and one couplet in Ottoman Turkish paraphrased by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá into Persian. 21680 words. Forthcoming. Translations completed January 2022.
  • Alexander Meinhard, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – Briefe und Botschaften an die Bahá’í in Deutschland und weitere deutschsprachige länder [“‘Abdu’l-Bahá – Letters and messages to the Bahá’ís in Germany and other German-speaking countries”] (Blomberg, Germany: Alexander Meinhard, 2021). Contributed original-language typescripts and English provisional translations of twenty-eight Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, nearly all of them heretofore unpublished, to early German Bahá’ís. Persian. 9220 words. Translations completed September 2021.
  • Fereydun Vahman, Adib Masumian (trans.), “The Bab: A Sun in a Night Not Followed by Dawn,” published in Fereydun Vahman (ed.), The Bab and the Babi Community of Iran (London: Oneworld Academic, 2020), pp. 1–77. 32220 words. Translation of Fereydun Vahman, “Báb, Khurshídi dar Shabi bí Saḥar,” published in Fereydun Vahman (ed.), Báb va Jámiʻiy-i-Bábíy-i-Írán: Yádnámiy-i-Divístumín Sálgard-i-Mílád-i-Báb, 1819–2019 (Sweden: Bárán, 2020), pp. 19–89.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • Adib Masumian (trans.), “Qáʼim-Maqám Faráhání in the Baháʼí Writings,” Lights of ʻIrfán, Book 20, May 2019, pp. 161–196. 10280 words. Translation of Vahid Rafati, “Qáʼim-Maqám Faráhání dar Áthár-i-Baháʼí,” Safíniy-i-‘Irfán, Daftar-i-Hizhdahum [no. 18], 2015, 268–293.
  • Adib Masumian (trans.), “The Invocation ‘Is There Any Remover of Difficulties Save God…,'” forthcoming. 530 words. Translation of Muhammad Afnan, “Dhikr-i-‘Hal min Mufarrijin Ghayru’lláh…,'” Safíniy-i-‘Irfán, Daftar-i-Nuhum [no. 9], 2006, pp. 263–264.

Miscellaneous Historical Documents

Unpublished Projects

  • Ruha Kazemzadeh Atai, Kazem Kazemzadeh, and Adib Masumian (trans.). Of Heroes and Heroines: The Stories of the Ashrafs, the Varqás, and the Arbábs (working title). Final product in private hands. Persian. 37680 words. Translated August 2021.

Interviews

Transcripts of Talks

Poetry

Letters

Essays

News Articles