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Prayers and Meditations — §100

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 100 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َدُ أَنَّ بِهِ تَحَرَّكَ القَلَمُ الأَعْلى وَبِذِكْرِهِ زُيِّنَتِ الأَلْواحُ فِيْ مَلَكُوتِ الأَسْمآءِ وَبِهِ سَرَتْ نَسَمَاتُكَ وَفاحَتْ نَفَحاتُ قَمِيصِكَ بَيْنَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّماءِ، تَرَى وَتَعْلَمُ يا إِلهِي أَنَّهُ سَكَنَ فِيْ أَخْرَبِ البِلادِ لِتَعْمِيرِ أَفْئِدَةِ عِبادِكَ وَقَبِلَ الذِّلَّةَ الْكُبْرَى لِعِزَّةِ خَلْقِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا فالِقَ الإِصْباحِ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ سَخَّرْت

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I testify that through Him the Pen of the Most High was set in motion, and with His remembrance the Scriptures in the kingdom of names were embellished. Through Him Thy fragrances were wafted, and the sweet smell of Thy raiment was shed abroad amongst all the dwellers of the earth and the inmates of heaven. Thou seest and knowest full well, O my God, how He hath been made to dwell within the most desolate of cities, so that He may build up the hearts of Thy servants, and hath been willing to suffer the most grievous abasement, that Thy creatures may be exalted.

Translation Notes

أَنَّ
ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بِهِ
b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

تَحَرَّكَ
ḥ-r-k → “move”

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

القَلَمُ
q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

الأَعْلى
ʿ-l-w → “Most High”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَبِذِكْرِهِ
dh-k-r → “with His remembrance”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

زُيِّنَتِ
z-y-n → “embellished”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration

الأَلْواحُ
l-w-ḥ → “Scriptures”

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

فِيْ
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

مَلَكُوتِ
m-l-k → “kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

الأَسْمآءِ
s-m-w → “names”

literal: heaven; sky

سَرَتْ
s-r-y → “wafted”

literal: flow, pass; moved; flowing/permeating

نَسَمَاتُكَ
n-s-m → “breeze” Distinctive

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

وَفاحَتْ
f-w-ḥ

literal: to spread, waft (fragrance); to be diffused

نَفَحاتُ
n-f-ḥ → “sweet smell” Distinctive

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

قَمِيصِكَ
q-m-ṣ → “raiment”

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

بَيْنَ
b-y-n → “amongst”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

الأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

تَرَى
r-ʾ-y → “seest”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

وَتَعْلَمُ
ʿ-l-m → “knowest”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “my God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

أَنَّهُ
ʾ-n-n → “He”

literal: I, verily; behold I

سَكَنَ
s-k-n → “dwell”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

أَخْرَبِ
kh-r-b → “most desolate”

literal: ruin; desolation

البِلادِ
b-l-d → “cities”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

لِتَعْمِيرِ
ʿ-m-r → “By My life” Distinctive

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

أَفْئِدَةِ
f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

عِبادِكَ
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَقَبِلَ
q-b-l → “hath been willing” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الذِّلَّةَ
dh-l-l → “abasement”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

الْكُبْرَى
k-b-r → “most grievous” Distinctive

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

لِعِزَّةِ
ʿ-z-z

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

خَلْقِكَ،
kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

فالِقَ
f-l-q

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

الإِصْباحِ
ṣ-b-ḥ

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

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y

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

سَخَّرْت
s-kh-r

literal: to subdue, subject, render submissive; to harness

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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