Prayers and Meditations — §20

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 20 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا الَّذِيْ تَمَسَّكْتُ بِحَبْلِ عِنايَتِكَ وَتَشَبَّثْتُ بِذَيْلِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَلْطافِكَ، قَدِّرْ لِي وَلأَحِبَّتِي خَيْرَ الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةِ، ثُمَّ ارْزُقْهُمْ مِنَ النِّعْمَةِ المَكْنُونَةِ الَّتِيْ قَدَّرْتَها لِخِيرَةِ البَريَّةِ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.

Translation Notes

تَمَسَّكْتُ

tamassakt m-s-k → “hath held fast”

literal: clinging; cling

SE expanded to “hath held fast”

have 38% hath 15% clinging 8% cleaving 8% laid 8% taken 8% behold 8% clung 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §178: clung gleaningsGWB §486: Cleave thou kitab-i-iqanKIQ §281: have held fast prayers-and-meditationsP&M §760: holding tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §2: Launch epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: to hold fast gleaningsGWB §418: a faithful adherence kitab-i-iqanKIQ §76: “Cling

بِحَبْلِ

biḥabl ḥ-b-l → “cord”

literal: rope/cord; cord

cord 79% clung 5% tie 5% firm 3% unto 3% tenaciously 3% life-vein 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: the cord gleaningsGWB §680: tenaciously to prayers-and-meditationsP&M §276: tie epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §178: clung to gleaningsGWB §719: by the Cord prayers-and-meditationsP&M §591: on Thy cord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §162: Cord gleaningsGWB §684: life-vein

عِنايَتِكَ

ʿináyatik ʿ-n-y → “of thy loving-kindness”

literal: meaning; care; meanings

SE expanded to “of Thy loving-kindness”

loving-kindness 73% bounty 6% grace 5% tender 5% gracious 3% mercy 2% through 2% mercies 2% partake 2% favor 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: interpreted fire-tabletFire §15: Thy bounty gleaningsGWB §328: what is meant by kitab-i-ahdAhd §6: invested kitab-i-iqanKIQ §245: fulfilment thereof prayers-and-meditationsP&M §184: manifold blessings the-hidden-wordsHW §156: bestowed upon thee will-and-testamentW&T §6: in the aforementioned manner

وَتَشَبَّثْتُ

watashabbatht sh-b-th → “clung”

literal: cling; clinging; clinging/holding fast

clung 50% clinging 20% hath 10% have 10% behold 10%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: cling gleaningsGWB §645: holdeth fast kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: firmly adhere kitab-i-iqanKIQ §205: set our hearts on prayers-and-meditationsP&M §150: clung will-and-testamentW&T §17: seize upon epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: taken fast hold gleaningsGWB §511: resolve

بِذَيْلِ

bidhayl dh-y-l → “to the hem”

literal: hem; hem, train; hem/tail

SE expanded to “to the hem”

hem 91% unto 2% robe 2% veil 2% hold 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: unto My hem fire-tabletFire §31: The robe gleaningsGWB §647: to the hem of the Robe kitab-i-iqanKIQ §76: robe prayers-and-meditationsP&M §771: the hem of the robe the-hidden-wordsHW §77: hold epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: unto the hem gleaningsGWB §223: skirt

رَحْمَتِكَ

raḥmatik r-ḥ-m → “of thy mercy”

literal: mercy; merciful; the merciful

SE expanded to “of Thy mercy”

mercy 90% transcendent 2% shadowing 2% all-encompassing 2% compassion 1% merciful 1% wondrous 1% virtue 1% mercies 1% tender 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: of the All-Merciful fire-tabletFire §30: Thy compassion gleaningsGWB §673: Divine glory kitab-i-ahdAhd §8: blessings kitab-i-iqanKIQ §106: infinite grace prayers-and-meditationsP&M §177: Pitier tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a mercy tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: in token of His mercy

وَأَلْطافِكَ،

waʾalṭáfika، l-ṭ-f → “and favors”

literal: kindness

favors 32% loving-kindness 13% gifts 13% tender 11% bountiful 8% bounties 6% manifold 5% favor 5% bounty 5% transcendent 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §253: is pure gleaningsGWB §122: subtle kitab-i-iqanKIQ §239: lovingkindness prayers-and-meditationsP&M §588: Thy tender mercies the-hidden-wordsHW §160: divine favor epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: loving-kindness gleaningsGWB §679: light and untrammeled kitab-i-iqanKIQ §148: Mystery

قَدِّرْ

qaddir q-d-r → “do thou ordain”

literal: power; powerful

SE expanded to “Do Thou ordain”

hath 21% ordain 18% power 16% ordained 11% how 7% do 7% might 6% decreed 5% had 4% according 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §103: hath it been decreed fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §378: fixed kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §203: and might prayers-and-meditationsP&M §406: had been preordained tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: the Powerful the-hidden-wordsHW §9: There is

وَلأَحِبَّتِي

walʾaḥibbatí ḥ-b-b → “and for my loved ones”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

SE expanded to “and for my loved ones”

loved 33% love 33% such 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §19: For the love fire-tabletFire §7: of Thy love gleaningsGWB §666: and as a token of your love kitab-i-iqanKIQ §279: faithful prayers-and-meditationsP&M §111: all them that are dear to Thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved One the-hidden-wordsHW §24: thine own will-and-testamentW&T §18: ye beloved

خَيْرَ

khayr kh-y-r → “good”

literal: good; better; choice

good 50% better 20% best 11% chosen 7% righteous 4% virtue 3% what 3% preferred 1% blessing 1% goodly 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §88: what ye prefer gleaningsGWB §592: Unrestrained kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: what is good kitab-i-iqanKIQ §270: He Who hath the authority prayers-and-meditationsP&M §631: wholly directed by Thee will-and-testamentW&T §38: for the good epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: virtue gleaningsGWB §224: goodly

الدُّنْيا

ad-dunyá d-n-w → “of this world”

literal: world; world/this life

SE expanded to “of this world”

world 78% life 6% things 4% earth 4% earthly 2% world’s 1% desire 1% worldliness 1% worldly 1% “the 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §92: By the world gleaningsGWB §322: earth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: or low prayers-and-meditationsP&M §840: the lowliest the-hidden-wordsHW §22: that which is less good epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §171: this world’s gleaningsGWB §573: “the world”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §251: sordid

وَالآخِرَةِ،

wálákhirahi، ʾ-kh-r

literal: end; hereafter; other

SE rendered وَلأَحِبَّتِي (walʾaḥibbatí), خَيْرَ (khayr), الدُّنْيا (ad-dunyá), وَالآخِرَةِ، (wálákhirahi،), ارْزُقْهُمْ (irzuqhum) as “and for my loved ones, the good, of this world, Supply them”

world 32% end 20% next 19% finally 6% another 5% hath 5% life 5% last 4% new 2% latter 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §138: again gleaningsGWB §463: latter part kitab-i-iqanKIQ §257: Latter prayers-and-meditationsP&M §17: of the next the-hidden-wordsHW §96: While there is yet will-and-testamentW&T §42: of late epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §261: future gleaningsGWB §7: and the end of all things

ارْزُقْهُمْ

irzuqhum r-z-q → “supply them”

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

supply 89% help 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: nourish themselves gleaningsGWB §581: suffice kitab-i-iqanKIQ §75: such sustenance prayers-and-meditationsP&M §257: Bestow on me will-and-testamentW&T §36: Vouchsafe unto them epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: attain gleaningsGWB §449: Who hath nourished thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §219: sustenance

النِّعْمَةِ

an-niʿmah n-ʿ-m → “bounty” Distinctive

literal: bounty; favor

This form usually rendered as “favors”, “prosperity”, “favor” (19 occurrences)

favors 21% prosperity 16% favor 16% bounty 16% delights 5% ni’matu 5% gift 5% benefits 5% gifts 5% divine 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §113: gifts gleaningsGWB §391: of this highest gift kitab-i-iqanKIQ §209: common herd prayers-and-meditationsP&M §467: Thy bounty the-hidden-wordsHW §160: the divine favor epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: Blessed is gleaningsGWB §673: benefits kitab-i-iqanKIQ §273: like unto the brutes

المَكْنُونَةِ

al-maknúnah k-n-n

literal: hidden; hidden/concealed; hidden, treasured

SE rendered ارْزُقْهُمْ (irzuqhum), النِّعْمَةِ (an-niʿmah), المَكْنُونَةِ (al-maknúnah), قَدَّرْتَها (qaddartahá) as “Supply them, the Hidden, Thou didst ordain”