Prayers and Meditations — §143

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 143 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشاءُ وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ، طُوبى لِعارِفٍ عَرَفَكَ وَوَجَدَ عَرْفَكَ وَأَقْبَلَ إِلى مَلَكُوتِكَ وَذاقَ ما كَمُلَ فِيهِ بِفَضْلِكَ وَإِحْسانِكَ، طُوبى لِمَنْ عَرَفَ مَجْدَكَ الأَعْظَمَ وَما مَنَعَتْهُ سُبُحاتُ الأُمَمِ عَنِ التَّوَجُّهِ إِلَيْكَ يا مالِكَ القِدَمِ وَمُصَوِّرَ الرِّمَمِ، طُوبى لِمَنِ اسْتَنْشَقَ نَفَحاتِكَ وَانْجَذَبَ مِنْ آياتِكَ فِيْ أَيَّامِكَ، طُوبى لِمَنْ أَقْبَلَ إِلَيْكَ وَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُعْرِضِينَ وَالحَمْدُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Happy is the man who hath recognized Thee, and discovered the sweetness of Thy fragrance, and set himself towards Thy kingdom, and tasted of the things that have been perfected therein by Thy grace and favor. Great is the blessedness of him who hath acknowledged Thy most excellent majesty, and whom the veils that have shut out the nations from Thee have not hindered from directing his eyes towards Thee, O Thou Who art the King of eternity and the Quickener of every moldering bone! Blessed, also, is he that hath inhaled Thy sweet savors, and been carried away by Thine utterances in Thy days. Blessed, moreover, be the man that hath turned unto Thee, and woe betide him that hath turned his back upon Thee.

Translation Notes

المُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَشاءُ

sh-y-ʾ

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

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

العَزِيزُ

ʿ-z-z

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

الحَكِيمُ،

ḥ-k-m

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

طُوبى

ṭ-w-b → “Happy is”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لِعارِفٍ

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَوَجَدَ

w-j-d → “discovered”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

وَأَقْبَلَ

q-b-l → “and set himself towards” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

مَلَكُوتِكَ

m-l-k → “Thy kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَذاقَ

dh-w-q → “tasted”

literal: to taste; taste, flavor

كَمُلَ

k-m-l → “that have been perfected”

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

فِيهِ

f-y → “in” Distinctive

literal: alas; woe; oh

بِفَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “by Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَإِحْسانِكَ،

ḥ-s-n → “and favor”

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

لِمَنْ

m-n → “of him”

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

مَجْدَكَ

m-j-d → “Thy most excellent majesty”

literal: glory; majesty; magnificence

الأَعْظَمَ

ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

مَنَعَتْهُ

m-n-ʿ → “hindered”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

سُبُحاتُ

s-b-ḥ → “veils”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted

الأُمَمِ

ʾ-m-m → “the nations”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from Thee”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

التَّوَجُّهِ

w-j-h → “from directing his eyes towards” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

القِدَمِ

q-d-m → “of eternity” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

وَمُصَوِّرَ

ṣ-w-r → “trumpet-call” Distinctive

literal: form; trumpet; conception

الرِّمَمِ،

r-m-m → “of every moldering bone”

literal: decayed bones; decayed, moldering; bones

اسْتَنْشَقَ

n-sh-q → “inhale”

literal: discord; dissension; rebellion; strife

نَفَحاتِكَ

n-f-ḥ → “Thy sweet savors”

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

وَانْجَذَبَ

j-dh-b → “and been carried away” Distinctive

literal: to be drawn; to be attracted

آياتِكَ

ʾ-y-y → “Thine utterances”

literal: sign; verse; miracle; token; verses; signs; proofs

أَيَّامِكَ،

y-w-m → “Thy days”

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

وَوَيْلٌ

w-y-l → “woe”

literal: woe; alas; grief

لِلْمُعْرِضِينَ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “him that hath turned his back upon Thee” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

وَالحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d

literal: praise; to praise

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