Prayers and Meditations — §240

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 240 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

الَّذِيْ انْقَطَعَتْ أَفْئِدَةُ العُرَفآءِ عَنْ عِرْفانِ صُنْعِكَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقْتَهُ بِإِرادَتِكَ فَكَيْفَ الصُّعُودُ إِلى سَمَواتِ قُدْسِ مَشِيَّتِكَ أَوِ الْوُرُودُ فِي سُرادِقِ عِرْفانِ نَفْسِكَ، سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glorified, glorified be Thou, O my God! How can I ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy most holy will, or gain admittance into the tabernacle of Thy Divine knowledge, knowing as I do that the minds of the wise and learned are impotent to fathom the secrets of Thy handiwork—a handiwork which is itself but a creation of Thy will?

Translation Notes

انْقَطَعَتْ

inqaṭaʿat q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment” Distinctive

literal: detachment; detached

This form usually rendered as “broke”, “can”, “forsaken” (3 occurrences)

broke 33% can 33% forsaken 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: withdrew gleaningsGWB §299: have detached themselves kitab-i-iqanKIQ §269: renounce prayers-and-meditationsP&M §494: will strip himself tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §2: severed ones tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §18: They passed will-and-testamentW&T §11: decisive epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: hath severed

أَفْئِدَةُ

ʾafʾidah f-ʾ-d → “minds”

literal: heart; hearts; hearts, souls

hearts 48% souls 21% minds 9% heart 7% men’s 4% understanding 4% men’s 2% illuminated 2% illumined 2% pure 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §35: the hearts gleaningsGWB §91: illuminated heart kitab-i-iqanKIQ §150: minds prayers-and-meditationsP&M §737: of the world the-hidden-wordsHW §60: Thy heart will-and-testamentW&T §48: They have epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §163: souls gleaningsGWB §453: the souls

العُرَفآءِ

al-ʿurafáʾ ʿ-r-f → “the wise and learned”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

SE expanded to “the wise and learned”

mystics 33% sages 33% learned 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: Comprehend gleaningsGWB §666: the perfume kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deeds kitab-i-iqanKIQ §29: knowledge of God prayers-and-meditationsP&M §239: comprehending tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to see the-hidden-wordsHW §6: Know this epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: believed and imagined

صُنْعِكَ

ṣunʿik ṣ-n-ʿ → “handiwork—a”

literal: handiwork

handiwork 57% revelations 14% hands 14% token 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §48: crafts gleaningsGWB §707: craftsman kitab-i-iqanKIQ §208: of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §563: Thy handiwork the-hidden-wordsHW §14: I made thee will-and-testamentW&T §6: forging epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: revelations of Thine handiwork gleaningsGWB §321: handiwork

خَلَقْتَهُ

khalaqtah kh-l-q → “creation” Distinctive

literal: creation; create; created

This form usually rendered as “created”, “thou”, “hath” (24 occurrences)

created 33% thou 19% hath 14% wert 5% every 5% man’s 5% bring 5% create 5% didst 5% called 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §195: virtues fire-tabletFire §9: the peoples gleaningsGWB §664: your creation kitab-i-iqanKIQ §87: attributes prayers-and-meditationsP&M §298: is therein tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: created her the-hidden-wordsHW §14: I created thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §197: character

بِإِرادَتِكَ

biʾirádatik r-w-d → “will”

literal: will; desire

will 62% purpose 15% through 8% desire 8% wisdom 4% conformity 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: seek to gleaningsGWB §188: cherish kitab-i-iqanKIQ §155: We prayers-and-meditationsP&M §617: have fallen upon me tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §19: They have desired the-hidden-wordsHW §57: dost wish for will-and-testamentW&T §36: that hath conspired epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: not sought

الصُّعُودُ

aṣ-ṣuʿúd ṣ-ʿ-d → “ascend”

literal: ascend; ascent; ascension

ascend 15% ascension 15% ascent 15% ever 8% when 8% attaineth 8% resume 8% scale 8% soar 8% setting 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: “Get thee up gleaningsGWB §202: and cause prayers-and-meditationsP&M §789: reach up tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: shed the-hidden-wordsHW §23: Rise will-and-testamentW&T §18: his passing epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §187: are raised gleaningsGWB §128: ascend

سَمَواتِ

samawát s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven

heaven 48% heavens 46% heaven!” 2% earth 1% into 1% exalted 1% denizens 1% realms 1% guidance 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §196: your exaltation fire-tabletFire §36: heavenly gleaningsGWB §374: into the heavens kitab-i-iqanKIQ §48: “heaven”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §171: in Thy tablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: Names.’tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: my Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §9: in thine own

مَشِيَّتِكَ

mashíhatik sh-y-ʾ → “will”

literal: will

will 70% desire 7% daystar 4% might 4% own 4% purpose 4% primal 4% potency 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: all things gleaningsGWB §293: Nothing whatever kitab-i-iqanKIQ §226: the potency prayers-and-meditationsP&M §626: or wilt desire tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: desireth tablet-of-carmelCarmel §2: created things.’the-hidden-wordsHW §69: substance epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: pleaseth

الْوُرُودُ

al-wurúd w-r-d → “hath” Distinctive

literal: entering; come; arrive

This form usually rendered as “attaining”, “fathoming”, “reaching” (11 occurrences)

attaining 29% fathoming 14% reaching 14% whose 14% attain 14% gaineth 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §258: have been recorded gleaningsGWB §491: exposed kitab-i-iqanKIQ §149: attain prayers-and-meditationsP&M §106: and caused will-and-testamentW&T §49: foemen epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §255: hath been gleaningsGWB §227: met kitab-i-iqanKIQ §40: came to visit

سُرادِقِ

surádiq s-r-d-q → “tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; pavilion, tent; pavilion/tabernacle

tabernacle 54% veil 12% pavilion 12% tabernacles 8% all-glorious 4% enter 4% unseen 4% sanctuary 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §8: of the Tabernacles gleaningsGWB §34: the veil kitab-i-iqanKIQ §3: veil prayers-and-meditationsP&M §737: the all-glorious Tabernacle tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §21: the unseen pavilion the-hidden-wordsHW §122: pavilion will-and-testamentW&T §5: the Pavilion gleaningsGWB §661: the Tabernacle

نَفْسِكَ،

nafsika، n-f-s

literal: self; soul; souls

SE rendered سُرادِقِ (surádiq), عِرْفانِ (ʿirfán), نَفْسِكَ، (nafsika،), سُبْحانَكَ (subḥának), اللَّهُمَّ (al-lahumm) as “tabernacle, Glorified, glorified, God”