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Prayers and Meditations — §25

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 25 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي، لَمْ أَدْرِ بِأَيِّ ماءٍ خَلَقْتَنِي وَبِأَيِّ نارٍ اشْتَعَلْتَنِي وَبِأَيِّ تُرابٍ عَجَنْتَنِي، قَدْ تَمَّتْ أَمْوَاجُ البُحُورِ وَما تَمَّتْ أَمْواجُ هذا البَحْرِ الَّذِيْ مَوَّجَتْهُ أَرْياحُ مَشِيَّتِكَ، قَدْ خَمَدَتْ كُلُّ نارٍ وَمَا خَمَدَتْ هذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِيْ اشْتَعَلْتَها بِأَيْدِي قُدْرَتِكَ وَاشْتَهَرْتَها بِاسْمِكَ بَيْنَ سَمائِكَ وَأَرْضِكَ، كُلَّما يَشْتَدُّ البَلايا يَزْدادُ لَهِيبُها، إِذًا تَرَى يا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I know not what the water is with which Thou hast created me, or what the fire Thou hast kindled within me, or the clay wherewith Thou hast kneaded me. The restlessness of every sea hath been stilled, but not the restlessness of this Ocean which moveth at the bidding of the winds of Thy will. The flame of every fire hath been extinguished except the Flame which the hands of Thine omnipotence have kindled, and whose radiance Thou hast, by the power of Thy name, shed abroad before all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth. As the tribulations deepen, it waxeth hotter and hotter.

Translation Notes

سُبْحانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Magnified be” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted

اللَّهُمَّ
ʾ-l-h → “O Lord” Distinctive

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

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

لَمْ
l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

أَدْرِ
d-r-y → “know”

literal: know; in; sea

بِأَيِّ
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

ماءٍ
m-w-h → “water”

literal: water; shelter; refuge; dwelling; abode; essence

خَلَقْتَنِي
kh-l-q → “Thou hast created me”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

نارٍ
n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

اشْتَعَلْتَنِي
sh-ʿ-l → “Thou hast kindled within me”

literal: to kindle, burn, be inflamed; to blaze

تُرابٍ
t-r-b → “clay” Distinctive

literal: dust; earth; soil

عَجَنْتَنِي،
ʿ-j-n → “kneaded”

literal: kneaded; knead

قَدْ
q-d → “We have been”

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

تَمَّتْ
t-m-m → “all” Distinctive

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

أَمْوَاجُ
m-w-j → “surged” Distinctive

literal: wave; billows; surge

البُحُورِ
b-ḥ-r → “of every sea” Distinctive

literal: sea; ocean

وَما
m-ʾ → “but not” Distinctive

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

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “of this”

literal: this; that

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

أَرْياحُ
r-w-ḥ → “winds”

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

مَشِيَّتِكَ،
sh-y-ʾ → “of Thy will”

literal: thing; something

خَمَدَتْ
kh-m-d → “extinguished”

literal: extinguish; extinguished; extinguishing

كُلُّ
k-l-l → “of every”

literal: for us; to us

الَّتِيْ
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

بِأَيْدِي
y-d-y → “hands”

literal: hand; power; action; possession

قُدْرَتِكَ
q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَاشْتَهَرْتَها
sh-h-r → “well-known” Distinctive

literal: city; famous; month

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “heaven” Distinctive

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

بَيْنَ
b-y-n

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

وَأَرْضِكَ،
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

يَشْتَدُّ
sh-d-d → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: become; became; severe

البَلايا
b-l-w → “the tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

يَزْدادُ
z-y-d → “waxed greater and greater” Distinctive

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

لَهِيبُها،
l-h-b → “undying” Distinctive

literal: fear; awe; majesty; reverence

إِذًا
ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

تَرَى
r-ʾ-y

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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