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Gleanings — §112

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 112 of 729.

Source (Arabic)

مستقيم مانی قل سبحانک يا من اعترف الأولياء بعجزهم عند ظهورات قدرتک و أقرّ الأصفيآء بفنائهم لدی بروزات أنوار شمس بقائک أسئَلک بالإسم الّذی به فتح باب السّمآء و انجذب الملأ الأعلی بأن تؤيّدنی علی خدمتک فی أيّامک و توفّقنی علی العمل بما أمرتنی به فی کتابک أی ربّ أنت تعلم ما عندی و لا أعلم ما عندک إنّک أنت العليم الخبير.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Say: Glory be to Thee Who hast caused all the holy Ones to confess their helplessness before the manifold revelations of Thy might, and every Prophet to acknowledge His nothingness at the effulgence of Thine abiding glory. I beseech Thee, by Thy name that hath unlocked the gates of Heaven and filled with ecstasy the Concourse on high, to enable me to serve Thee, in this Day, and to strengthen me to observe that which Thou didst prescribe in Thy Book. Thou knowest, O my Lord, what is in me; but I know not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Translation Notes

مستقيم
q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; resurrection; uprising; establishment

قل
q-w-l → “Say”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

سبحانک
s-b-ḥ → “Glory be to Thee” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

من
m-n → “Who” Distinctive

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

اعترف
ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

الأولياء
w-l-y → “all the holy Ones”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

بعجزهم
ʿ-j-z → “confess their helplessness”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

عند
ʿ-n-d → “before”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

ظهورات
ẓ-h-r → “manifold revelations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

قدرتک
q-d-r → “Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أقرّ
q-r-r → “acknowledged”

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

الأصفيآء
ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

بفنائهم
f-n-y → “His nothingness”

literal: annihilation; perishing; extinction; cessation; the threshold

لدی
l-d-y → “at”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

بروزات
b-r-z → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

أنوار
n-w-r

literal: type; kind; species

شمس
sh-m-s → “sun”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

بقائک
b-q-y

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

أسئَلک
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بالإسم
s-m-w → “by Thy name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

الّذی
l-dh-y → “that” Distinctive

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

به
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

فتح
f-t-ḥ → “hath unlocked”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

باب
b-w-b → “gates” Distinctive

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

انجذب
j-dh-b → “attract”

literal: to be drawn, attracted, or pulled towards

الملأ
m-l-ʾ → “the Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الأعلی
ʿ-l-w → “on high”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بأن
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تؤيّدنی
ʾ-y-d → “aid”

literal: to support, assist, strengthen, confirm; to support; to assist; to strengthen; to aid; confirmation; support; strengthening

خدمتک
kh-d-m → “to serve Thee”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

فی
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أيّامک
y-w-m → “this Day”

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

توفّقنی
w-f-q → “aid”

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

العمل
ʿ-m-l → “deeds”

literal: to work; to act; to do; to perform

بما
m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

أمرتنی
ʾ-m-r → “Thou didst prescribe”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

کتابک
k-t-b → “Thy Book”

literal: book; scripture; writing

أی
ʾ-y-y → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

ربّ
r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أنت
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

تعلم
ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

لا
l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إنّک
ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الخبير.
kh-b-r → “the All-Informed”

literal: all-knowing; aware; well-informed; omniscient

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