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Prayers and Meditations — §145

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 145 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا أَيُّها العادِلُ عَلَى مَنْ فِيْ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَيا أَيُّها الحاكِمُ عَلَى مَنْ فِيْ مَلَكُوتِ الأَمْرِ وَالخَلْقِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ كُلَّ عادِلٍ اعْتَرَفَ بِالظُّلْمِ عِنْدَ إِشْراقاتِ أَنْوارِ شَمْسِ عَدْلِكَ، وَكُلَّ مُحَرِّرٍ أَقَرَّ بِالعَجْزِ عِنْدَ حَرَكَةِ قَلَمِكَ الأَعْلی، لَعَمْرُكَ يا مالِكَ الأَسْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Thou Who dealest equitably with all who are in heaven and on earth, and rulest over the kingdom of Thy creation and of Thy Revelation! I testify that every man of equity hath recognized his unfairness in the face of the revelation of the splendors of the Daystar of Thy Justice, and the ablest of pens hath confessed its impotence before the movement of Thy most exalted Pen.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

أَيُّها
ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

العادِلُ
ʿ-d-l → “justice”

literal: justice; equity

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “with all who” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مَنْ
m-n → “kingdom” Distinctive

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

فِيْ
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

السَّمَواتِ
s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “on earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

الحاكِمُ
ḥ-k-m → “rulest” Distinctive

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

مَلَكُوتِ
m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الأَمْرِ
ʾ-m-r → “Thy Revelation”

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

وَالخَلْقِ،
kh-l-q → “Thy creation”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

أَشْهَدُ
sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّ
ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

كُلَّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

اعْتَرَفَ
ʿ-r-f → “hath recognized”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِالظُّلْمِ
ẓ-l-m → “Wronged One” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

عِنْدَ
ʿ-n-d → “in the face of” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

إِشْراقاتِ
sh-r-q → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

أَنْوارِ
n-w-r → “splendors”

literal: type; kind; species

شَمْسِ
sh-m-s → “Daystar”

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

مُحَرِّرٍ
ḥ-r-r → “heat” Distinctive

literal: to set free; to write down; to compose

أَقَرَّ
q-r-r → “hath confessed” Distinctive

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

بِالعَجْزِ
ʿ-j-z → “its impotence” Distinctive

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

حَرَكَةِ
ḥ-r-k → “movement”

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

قَلَمِكَ
q-l-m → “Thy most exalted Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

لَعَمْرُكَ
ʿ-m-r

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

الأَسْ
ʾ-s-s

literal: foundation; basis; groundwork; founder; establisher; to found; to establish; we have founded

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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