Prayers and Meditations — §211

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 211 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَصْنامَ الهَوى بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَسُلْطانِكَ وَما مَنَعَهُمْ عَنْ شَطْرِ فَضْلِكَ ما عِنْدَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، قَدْ خَرَقُوا الأَحْجابَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ ناحَتْ سُكَّانُ مَدائِنِ الهَوى وَفَزِعَتْ أَصْحابُ الغِلِّ وَالفَحْشآءِ الَّذِينَ زَيَّنُوا رُؤُوسَهُمْ وَأَبْدانَهُمْ بِأَسْبابِ العِلْمِ وَبِها اسْتَكْبَرُوا عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَأَعْرَضُوا عَنْ جَمالِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَسْئَلُكَ بِمَجْدِكَ العَظِيمِ وَاسْمِكَ القَدِيمِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made known unto me such servants as have utterly abolished, by the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, the idols of their corrupt desires, and were not kept back by the things which are possessed by Thy creatures from turning in the direction of Thy grace. These have so vehemently rent the veils asunder that the dwellers of the cities of self have wept, and fear and trembling seized the people of envy and wickedness who, adorning their heads and their bodies with the emblems of knowledge, have proudly rejected Thee and turned away from Thy beauty.

Translation Notes

أَصْنامَ

ṣ-n-m → “idols”

literal: idol; statue

الهَوى

h-w-y → “corrupt desires”

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion; whim; realm; region

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَسُلْطانِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “and of Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

مَنَعَهُمْ

m-n-ʿ → “were not kept back”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from turning”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r → “in the direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “of Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

عِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “which are possessed by” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “Thy creatures”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

خَرَقُوا

kh-r-q → “so vehemently rent”

literal: tear; pierce; tear/rend

الأَحْجابَ

ḥ-j-b → “the veils asunder”

literal: stone; rock

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “Thee” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

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

ناحَتْ

n-w-ḥ → “have wept” Distinctive

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

سُكَّانُ

s-k-n → “dwellers”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

مَدائِنِ

m-d-n → “of the cities”

literal: religion; faith; creed; belief

وَفَزِعَتْ

f-z-ʿ → “caused” Distinctive

literal: terror; alarm; fear