Prayers and Meditations — §164

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 164 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحانَكَ يا إِلهِي وَالنَّابِضُ فِيْ قَلْبِيْ تَعْلَمُ وَتَرَى أَنَّ خَجْلَةَ أَحِبَّتِكَ تَرْجِعُ إِلى مَظْهَرِ نَفْسِكَ وَمَطْلَعِ أَمْرِكَ بَلْ إِنَّهُ يَرَى نَفْسَهُ أَخْجَلَ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ اعْتِرافِهِمْ بِما

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art my God and throbbest within my heart! Thou art well aware and dost witness that whatsoever shameth them that are dear to Thee must shame also Him Who is the Manifestation of Thyself and the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. Nay, He is put to greater shame than they when they are led to confess the good things which have escaped them in Thy days.

Translation Notes

سُبْحانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Lauded”

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

وَالنَّابِضُ

n-b-ḍ → “and throbbest”

literal: throbbing

فِيْ

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

قَلْبِيْ

q-l-b → “within my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “well aware”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَتَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest”

literal: standard; banner; flag; ensign; opinion; counsel; judgment; to see; to view; to perceive

أَنَّ

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

خَجْلَةَ

kh-j-l → “whatsoever shameth”

literal: shame; embarrassment; disgrace

أَحِبَّتِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “them that are dear”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

تَرْجِعُ

r-j-ʿ → “return” Distinctive

literal: return; returning; to return

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

مَظْهَرِ

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

نَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “Thyself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَمَطْلَعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Revelation” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

بَلْ

b-l → “Nay”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

إِنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “He”

literal: I, verily; behold I

مِنْهُمْ

m-n → “than they” Distinctive

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

عِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “when” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

اعْتِرافِهِمْ

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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