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Prayers and Meditations — §238

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 238 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

صِرفٌ وَذَنْبٌ بَحْتٌ وَبَغْيٌ باتٌّ، حِينَئِذٍ أَشْهَدُ بِنَفْسِي وَرُوحِي وَذاتِي بِأَنَّ مَطالِعَ قُدْسِ فَردانِيَّتِكَ وَمَظاهِرَ عِزِّ وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ لَوْ يَطِيرُنَّ بِدَوامِ سَلْطَنَتِكَ وَبَقاءِ قَيُّومِيَّتِكَ لَنْ يَصِلُوا إِلى هَواءِ قُربِ الَّذِيْ فِيهِ تَجَلَّيْتَ بِاسْمٍ مِنْ أَسْمآءِ أَعْظَمِكَ، فَسُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ عَن بَديِعِ جَلالِكَ فَسُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ عَنْ مَنِيعِ إِجْلالِكَ فَسُبْحَانَكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Wherefore, I bear witness with my soul, my spirit, my entire being, that should They Who are the Daysprings of Thy most holy unity and the Manifestations of Thy transcendent oneness be able to soar so long as Thine own sovereignty endureth and Thine all-compelling authority can last, they will fail in the end to attain unto even the precincts of the court wherein Thou didst reveal the effulgence of but one of Thy most mighty Names. Glorified, glorified be, therefore, Thy wondrous majesty. Glorified, glorified be Thine unattainable loftiness. Glorified, glorified be the preeminence of Thy kingship and the sublimity of Thine authority and power.

Translation Notes

صِرفٌ
ṣ-r-f

literal: pure; absolute; to turn away; to expend

وَذَنْبٌ
dh-n-b

literal: sin; crime; offense; fault

بَحْتٌ
b-ḥ-t

literal: mere; pure; absolute; sheer

وَبَغْيٌ
b-gh-y

literal: to seek; to desire; to rebel; to transgress

باتٌّ،
b-t-t

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

حِينَئِذٍ
ḥ-y-n → “moment”

literal: time; moment; while; season

أَشْهَدُ
sh-h-d → “I bear witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بِنَفْسِي
n-f-s → “with my soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَرُوحِي
r-w-ḥ → “my spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

وَذاتِي
dh-w-t → “my entire being”

literal: essence; self; being

بِأَنَّ
ʾ-n-n → “that should”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

مَطالِعَ
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Daysprings”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

قُدْسِ
q-d-s → “most holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

فَردانِيَّتِكَ
f-r-d → “unity”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

وَمَظاهِرَ
ẓ-h-r → “Manifestations”

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

عِزِّ
ʿ-z-z → “transcendent”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ
w-ḥ-d → “oneness”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

لَوْ
l-w

literal: if; would that; O that

يَطِيرُنَّ
ṭ-y-r → “soar”

literal: bird; fly; flight

بِدَوامِ
d-w-m → “as long as”

literal: always; continually; perpetually; constantly

سَلْطَنَتِكَ
s-l-ṭ

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَبَقاءِ
b-q-y → “eternal” Distinctive

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

قَيُّومِيَّتِكَ
q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: station; people; place

لَنْ
l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

يَصِلُوا
w-ṣ-l → “attain”

literal: and; union; reach

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

هَواءِ
h-w-y → “desires” Distinctive

literal: air; atmosphere; void

قُربِ
q-r-b → “nearness”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

فِيهِ
f-y → “in” Distinctive

literal: alas; woe; oh

تَجَلَّيْتَ
j-l-w → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

بِاسْمٍ
s-m-w → “effulgence” Distinctive

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

مِنْ
m-n → “from”

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

أَعْظَمِكَ،
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

فَسُبْحَانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Glorified, glorified be”

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

عَن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

بَديِعِ
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

جَلالِكَ
j-l-l → “majesty” Distinctive

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

مَنِيعِ
m-n-ʿ

literal: from me; mine; by me

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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