Prayers and Meditations — §161

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 161 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

غَنِيًّا عَنْ دُونِكَ وَمُسْتَغْنِيًا عَمَّا سِواكَ، ثُمَّ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيَّ مِنْ سَحَابِ جُودِكَ ما يَنْفَعُنِي فِيْ كُلِّ عالَمٍ مِنْ عَوالِمِكَ، ثُمَّ وَفِّقْنِيْ عَلَى خِدْمَةِ أَمْرِك بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ يَظْهَرُ مِنِّيْ ما يَثْبُتُ بِهِ ذِكْريْ بِدَوامِ مَلَكُوتِكَ وَجَبَرُوتكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ هذا عَبْدُكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all save Thee, and be made independent of any one except Thyself. Rain down, then, upon me out of the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then, through Thy strengthening grace, so to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants that I may show forth what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine own kingdom endureth and Thy dominion will last.

Translation Notes

غَنِيًّا

gh-n-y → “enrich me”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

عَنْ

ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

دُونِكَ

d-w-n → “all save Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

سِواكَ،

s-w-y → “any one except Thyself”

literal: other than; besides; except; equal; alike

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أَنْزِلْ

n-z-l → “Rain down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “upon me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

سَحَابِ

s-ḥ-b → “clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

جُودِكَ

j-w-d → “of Thy bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَنْفَعُنِي

n-f-ʿ → “shall profit me”

literal: benefits; profits; advantages

فِيْ

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

عالَمٍ

ʿ-l-m → “world”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَفِّقْنِيْ

w-f-q → “Assist me”

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

خِدْمَةِ

kh-d-m → “serve”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

أَمْرِك

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “amidst”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise”

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

يَظْهَرُ

ẓ-h-r → “show forth” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

يَثْبُتُ

th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

ذِكْريْ

dh-k-r → “to be remembered” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations