Prayers and Meditations — §109
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 109 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
النَّوْرآءِ وَلكِنَّ النَّاسَ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى إِطْفآءِ نُورِكَ يا مَنْ بِيَدِكَ زِمامُ العالَمِينَ، قَدْ نَطَقَتِ الذَّرَّاتُ بِثَنائِكَ وَاشْتَعَلَتِ الكائِناتُ مِنْ رَشَحاتِ بَحْرِ حُبِّكَ وَلكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَرادُوا إِخْمادَ نَارِكَ، لا وَنَفْسِكَ هُمُ العُجَزآءُ وَأَنْتَ القَدِيرُ وَهُمُ الفُقَرآءُ وَأَنْتَ الغَنِيُّ وَهُمُ الضُّعَفآءُ وَأَنْتَ القَوِيُّ، لا يَمْنَعُكَ عَمَّا أَرَدْتَهُ أَمْرٌ وَلا يَضُرُّكَ نِفاقُ العالَمِينَ، مِنْ نَفَحاتِ بَيانِكَ تَزَيَّنَ رِضْوانُ العرْفانِ وَمِنْ رَشَحاتِ قَلَمِكَ اهْتَزَّ كُلُّ عَظْمٍ رَمِيمٍ، لا تَحْزَنْ عَمَّا وَرَدَ عَلَيْكَ وَلا تأْخُذْهُمْ بِما ارْتَكبُوا فِيْ أَيَّامِكَ أَنِ اصْبِرْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.
Shoghi Effendi Translation
“The eyes of the world were gladdened at the sight of Thy luminous countenance, and yet the peoples have united to put out Thy light, O Thou in Whose hands are the reins of the worlds! All the atoms of the earth have celebrated Thy praise, and all created things have been set ablaze with the drops sprinkled by the ocean of Thy love, and yet the people still seek to quench Thy fire. Nay—and to this Thine own Self beareth me witness—they are all weakness, and Thou, verily, art the All-Powerful; and they are but paupers and Thou, in truth, art the All-Possessing; and they are impotent and Thou art, truly, the Almighty. Naught can ever frustrate Thy purpose, neither can the dissensions of the world harm Thee. Through the breaths of Thine utterance the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and by the effusions of Thy pen every moldering bone hath been quickened. Grieve not at what hath befallen Thee, neither do Thou lay hold on them for the things they have committed in Thy days. Do Thou be forbearing toward them. Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.”
Translation Notes
بِثَنائِكَ
literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy
العُجَزآءُ
literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms
الغَنِيُّ
literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless
القَوِيُّ،
literal: strength; power; might; piety; fear of God; godliness
تَزَيَّنَ
literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty; adornment; embellishment; decoration
ارْتَكبُوا
literal: to ride; to commit; to undertake; composition; combination; structure
الرَّحِيمُ.
literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy
