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Prayers and Meditations — §232

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 232 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا مَنْ ناداكَ أَلْسُنُ الكائِناتِ فِي أَزَلِ اللاَّبَداياتِ وَأبَدِ اللاَّنِهاياتِ، وَما وَصَلَ نِدآءُ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ إِلى هَوآءِ بَقاءِ قُدْسِ كِبْرِيائِكَ، وَفُتِحَتْ عُيونُ المَوْجُوداتِ لِمُشاهَدَةِ أَنْوارِ جَمالِكَ، وَما وَقَعَتْ عَيْنُ نَفْسٍ إِلى بَوارِقِ ظُهُوراتِ شَمْسِ وِجْهَتِكَ، وَرَفَعَتْ أَيادِي المُقَرَّبِينَ بِدَوامِ عِزِّ سَلْطَنَتِكَ وَبَقاءِ قُدْسِ حُكُومَتِكَ، وَما بَلَغَتْ يَدُ أَحَدٍ إِلى ذَيْلِ رِدآءِ سُلْطانِ رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ، مَعَ الَّذِيْ لَمْ تَزَلْ كُنْتَ بِبَدائِعِ ج

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, to Whom the tongues of all created things have, from eternity, called, and yet failed to attain the heaven of Thine eternal holiness and grandeur. The eyes of all beings have been opened to behold the beauty of Thy radiant countenance, yet none hath succeeded in gazing on the brightness of the light of Thy face. The hands of them that are nigh unto Thee have, ever since the foundation of Thy glorious sovereignty and the establishment of Thy holy dominion, been raised suppliantly towards Thee, yet no one hath been able to touch the hem of the robe that clotheth Thy Divine and sovereign Essence. And yet none can deny that Thou hast ever been, through the wonders of Thy generosity and bounty, supreme over all things, art powerful to do all things, and art nearer unto all things than they are unto themselves.

Translation Notes

اللاَّبَداياتِ
al-lálabadáyát b-d-y

literal: beginnings

SE rendered الكائِناتِ (al-káʾinát)أَزَلِ (ʾazal)اللاَّبَداياتِ (al-lálabadáyát)وَأبَدِ (waʾabad)اللاَّنِهاياتِ، (al-lálaniháyáti،) as “all created things, from eternity”

1 occurrence in corpus

وَأبَدِ
waʾabad ʾ-b-d

literal: ever

SE rendered أَزَلِ (ʾazal)اللاَّبَداياتِ (al-lálabadáyát)وَأبَدِ (waʾabad)اللاَّنِهاياتِ، (al-lálaniháyáti،)وَصَلَ (waṣal) as “from eternity, to attain”

evermore 50% ever 33% any 17%
اللاَّنِهاياتِ،
al-lálaniháyáti، n-h-y

literal: end; ended; utmost

SE rendered أَزَلِ (ʾazal)اللاَّبَداياتِ (al-lálabadáyát)وَأبَدِ (waʾabad)اللاَّنِهاياتِ، (al-lálaniháyáti،)وَصَلَ (waṣal)نِدآءُ (nidáʾ)أَحَدٍ (ʾaḥadin) as “from eternity, to attain, one”

end 16% forbidden 12% ended 12% infinite 12% highest 12% forbiddeth 8% most 8% utmost 8% last 8% unnumbered 4%
مِنْهُمْ
minhum m-n “to whom”

literal: from; who; from/of

SE rendered وَصَلَ (waṣal)نِدآءُ (nidáʾ)أَحَدٍ (ʾaḥadin)مِنْهُمْ (minhum)هَوآءِ (hawáʾ)بَقاءِ (baqáʾ)قُدْسِ (quds) as “to attain, one, of, heaven, eternal, holiness”

others 80% some 20%
نَفْسٍ
nafsin n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

SE rendered جَمالِكَ، (jamálika،)وَقَعَتْ (waqaʿat)عَيْنُ (ʿayn)نَفْسٍ (nafsin)بَوارِقِ (bawáriq) as “radiant countenance, in gazing, brightness”

own 23% self 20% soul 18% himself 15% evil 6% souls 5% life 4% man 3% corrupt 3% passions 2%
ظُهُوراتِ
ẓuhúrát ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; manifest

SE rendered بَوارِقِ (bawáriq)ظُهُوراتِ (ẓuhúrát)شَمْسِ (shams)وِجْهَتِكَ، (wijhatika،)وَرَفَعَتْ (warafaʿat) as “brightness, the light, Thy face, been raised”

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