Prayers and Meditations — §131

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 131 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ كُنْتَ كَنْزًا مَكْنُونًا فِيْ غَيْبِ ذاتِيَّتِكَ وَرَمْزًا مَخْزُونًا فِيْ كَيْنُونَتِكَ، فَلَمَّا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُعْرَفَ فَخَلَقْتَ العالَمَ الأَكْبَرَ وَالأَصْغَرَ وَاخْتَرْتَ مِنْهُما الإِنْسانَ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I testify that Thou wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial Being and an impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own Essence. Wishing to reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all Thy creatures, and didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Compassionate!

Translation Notes

سُبْحانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Lauded be”

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

اللَّهُمَّ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

كُنْتَ

k-w-n → “wast”

literal: rancour; grudge; enmity; being; existence (as philosophical term)

كَنْزًا

k-n-z → “hidden Treasure” Distinctive

literal: treasure; treasure-trove; hidden store; treasury

مَكْنُونًا

k-n-n → “hidden”

literal: to do; to make; to perform

فِيْ

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

غَيْبِ

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable

ذاتِيَّتِكَ

dh-w-t → “Being”

literal: self; essence; being

وَرَمْزًا

r-m-z → “mysteries” Distinctive

literal: symbolic; hidden; mysterious

مَخْزُونًا

kh-z-n → “treasury” Distinctive

literal: to store, to treasure; storehouse, depository, treasury

فَلَمَّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

أَرَدْتَ

r-w-d → “desire”

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُعْرَفَ

ʿ-r-f → “reveal Thyself” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

فَخَلَقْتَ

kh-l-q → “Thou didst call into” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

العالَمَ

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الأَكْبَرَ

k-b-r → “Greater”

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

وَالأَصْغَرَ

ṣ-gh-r → “young” Distinctive

literal: smallness; insignificance; youth; to belittle

وَاخْتَرْتَ

kh-t-r → “Unconstrained” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

مِنْهُما

m-n → “above all Thy creatures” Distinctive

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

الإِنْسانَ.

ʾ-n-s → “Man”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

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