Prayers and Meditations — §11

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 11 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

الكَلِمَةِ الَّتِيْ ظَهَرَتْ عَنْ أُفُقِ مَشِيَّتِكَ بِأَنْ تُشْرِبَنِي مِنَ الكَوْثَرِ الَّذِيْ بِهِ أَحْيَيْتَ قُلُوبَ أَصْفِيائِكَ وَأَفْئِدَةَ أَوْلِيائِكَ، لأَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْكَ فِيْ كُلِّ الأَحْيانِ وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, by this very word that hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, to enable me to drink deep of the living waters through which Thou hast vivified the hearts of Thy chosen ones and quickened the souls of them that love Thee, that I may, at all times and under all conditions, turn my face wholly towards Thee.

Translation Notes

الكَلِمَةِ

k-l-m → “by this very word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l

literal: who; which/that; which

ظَهَرَتْ

ẓ-h-r → “hath shone forth”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

أُفُقِ

ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

مَشِيَّتِكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “of Thy will”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُشْرِبَنِي

sh-r-b → “drink deep”

literal: drink; drank; to drink

مِنَ

m-n → “of”

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

الكَوْثَرِ

k-w-th-r → “the living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “through which”

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

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

أَحْيَيْتَ

ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: time; moment; while; season

قُلُوبَ

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

أَصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w → “of Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite

وَأَفْئِدَةَ

f-ʾ-d → “and quickened the souls of them that love Thee, that I may”

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

أَوْلِيائِكَ،

w-l-y

literal: guardian; protector; friend; ally

لأَتَوَجَّهَ

w-j-h → “face” Distinctive

literal: face; attention; turning

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards Thee” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

فِيْ

f-y → “at” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

الأَحْيانِ

ḥ-y-n → “times”

literal: time; moment; while; season

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶