Prayers and Meditations — §247

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 247 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي هذا رَأْسِيْ قَدْ وَضَعْتُهُ تَحْتَ سَيْفِ مَشِيَّتِكَ، وَهذا عُنُقِي مُتَرَصِّدٌ لِسَلاسِلِ إِرادَتِكَ، وَإِنَّ هذا قَلْبِيْ مُشْتاقٌ لِرُمْحِ قَضائِكَ وَإِنَّ هذا عَيْنِيْ مُنْتَظِرَةٌ لِبَدائِعِ رَحْمَتِكَ، لأَنَّ كُلَّ ما يَنْزِلُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ غايَةُ مَقْصُودِ المُشْتاقِينَ وَمُنْتَهى مَطْلَبِ المُقَرَّبِينَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glorified be Thou, O my God! Behold Thou my head ready to fall before the sword of Thy Will, my neck prepared to bear the chains of Thy Desire, my heart yearning to be made a target for the darts of Thy Decree, mine eyes expectant to gaze on the tokens and signs of Thy wondrous Mercy. For whatsoever may befall me from Thee is the cherished desire of them who thirst to meet Thee, and the supreme aspiration of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glorified”

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

يا

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

هذا

literal: this; that

رَأْسِيْ

r-ʾ-s → “my head”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

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

وَضَعْتُهُ

w-ḍ-ʿ → “low” Distinctive

literal: lawgiver; one who establishes; founder

تَحْتَ

literal: under; under, beneath; beneath

سَيْفِ

s-y-f → “sword”

literal: sword

مَشِيَّتِكَ،

sh-y-ʾ → “of Thy Will”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

عُنُقِي

ʿ-n-q → “necks” Distinctive

literal: neck; soon; neck, slave

مُتَرَصِّدٌ

r-ṣ-d → “prepared”

literal: to watch; to observe; to lie in wait

لِسَلاسِلِ

s-l-s-l → “chains”

literal: chain; links; succession

إِرادَتِكَ،

r-w-d → “of Thy Desire” Distinctive

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

وَإِنَّ

literal: that; indeed/verily; indeed

قَلْبِيْ

q-l-b → “my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مُشْتاقٌ

sh-w-q → “yearning”

literal: yearning; desirous; longing

لِرُمْحِ

r-m-ḥ → “spears” Distinctive

literal: spear; lance; javelin

قَضائِكَ

q-ḍ-y → “of Thy Decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

عَيْنِيْ

ʿ-y-n → “mine eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

مُنْتَظِرَةٌ

n-ẓ-r → “expectant”

literal: to scatter; to spread; to unfold; to disseminate

لِبَدائِعِ

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

رَحْمَتِكَ،

r-ḥ-m → “of Thy wondrous Mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

لأَنَّ

ʾ-n → “For” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

كُلَّ

literal: for us; to us

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَنْزِلُ

n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

مِنْ

m-n

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

عِنْدِكَ

ʿ-n-d → “from Thee”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

غايَةُ

gh-w-y → “cherished desire”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

مَقْصُودِ

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

وَمُنْتَهى

n-h-y → “forbidden” Distinctive

literal: stinking, foul-smelling; stench

مَطْلَبِ

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

المُقَرَّبِينَ،

q-r-b → “nigh” Distinctive

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

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

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