I Blog Poetry and Prose

Midweek Reflections on Language

‘Idál (Justice), 7 Mashíyyat (Will) 175 B.E. - Wednesday, October 3, 2018

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30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS  (13+) WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus #1786069 by Fivesixer

Prompt: Do you speak a second language? If so, what inspired you to learn it?
If not, what language are you interested in learning?

I speak American English, as fluently as anyone born in the United Sates of America can speak it. I have picked up a smidgen of other languages through listening to popular music and watching movie. I learned the only two words of German I know, "danke schön" and "nein", from a Wayne Newton song and watching World War II movies. I know a little Spanish, as spoken by Hispanic immigrant from Mexico, because I have lived in Las Vegas--where Spanish is often spoken--since sometime in the last century.

The languages I would like to learn to speak and read are Parsi and Arabic because those are the languages Baha'u'llah and The Bab revealed the Sacred Scriptures of the Baha'i Faith in. There are numerous sacred scriptures translated into English and other languages, so the Baha'is across the world have access to the scriptures and prayers. The translations are approved by the Universal House of Justice, so I know they are authentic; still reading the scriptures in the language of revelation would be an awe inspiring experience.

One of the things I always find thrilling is learning that the Sacred Scriptures and prayers have been translated into one of the indigenous languages across the world, because this means that another Baha'i community can read the sacred writings in their own language. Recently Dr. Tom Roa translated the some of the Baha'i scriptures and prayer into Maori. According to the article New Maori prayer book connects hearts with the divine  , Dr. Roa also translated The Hidden Words into Maori. Other sacred books Dr. Roa has translated into his native language are the Bible and the Quran.

Sacred literature
translated into indigenous languages
encourages the independent search for truth.