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Prayers and Meditations — §258

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 258 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا إِلهِي تَرَى عَبْدَكَ جالِسًا فِي السِّجْنِ مُنْقَطِعًا عَنْ دُونِكَ وَناظِرًا إِلى أُفُقِ عِنايَتِكَ وَراجِيًا بَدائِعَ فَضْلِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنْتَ أَحْصَيْتَ ما وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَإِذًا تَراهُ بَيْنَ طُغاةِ خَلْقِكَ وَعُصاةِ بَرِيَّتِكَ الَّذِينَ حالُوا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَحِبَّتِكَ وَحَبَسُونِيْ فِي هذِهِ الأَرْضِ ظُلْمًا عَلَيْكَ وَمَنَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou beholdest, O my God, Thy servant who dwelleth in this prison-house, wholly detached from any one but Thee, his eyes turned in the direction of the Dayspring of Thy mercy, his heart longing for the wondrous manifestations of Thy grace. Thou, O my Lord, hast reckoned up the ills that have afflicted him in Thy path. Thou seest him compassed about with such of Thy creatures as have transgressed and rebelled against Thee, who have come in between him and Thy loved ones, who have fixed his abode in this land and wronged Thee, and who have hindered Thy servants from turning towards Thee.

Translation Notes

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

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

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

تَرَى
r-ʾ-y → “beholdest”

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

عَبْدَكَ
ʿ-b-d → “servant”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

جالِسًا
j-l-s → “seated”

literal: council; assembly; gathering; session

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

السِّجْنِ
s-j-n → “prison-house”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

مُنْقَطِعًا
q-ṭ-ʿ → “wholly detached”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

دُونِكَ
d-w-n → “any one but Thee”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

وَناظِرًا
n-ẓ-r → “turned”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

أُفُقِ
ʾ-f-q → “of the Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

عِنايَتِكَ
ʿ-n-y → “mercy” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

وَراجِيًا
r-j-w → “in the hope” Distinctive

literal: hope; hope, desire; hope/desire

بَدائِعَ
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

فَضْلِكَ،
f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنْتَ
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

أَحْصَيْتَ
ḥ-ṣ-y → “hast reckoned up”

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

وَرَدَ
w-r-d → “have afflicted” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيْهِ
ʿ-l-y → “him” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَإِذًا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

بَيْنَ
b-y-n → “compassed about with” Distinctive

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

طُغاةِ
ṭ-gh-y → “oppressors”

literal: transgression; rebellion; tyranny

خَلْقِكَ
kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَعُصاةِ
ʿ-ṣ-y → “and rebelled”

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

بَرِيَّتِكَ
b-r-ʾ → “creatures”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

الَّذِينَ
l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

حالُوا
ḥ-w-l → “have come in”

literal: state; now; around

بَيْنِي
b-y-n → “between” Distinctive

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

أَحِبَّتِكَ
ḥ-b-b → “Thy loved ones”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

وَحَبَسُونِيْ
ḥ-b-s → “cast Him into prison” Distinctive

literal: imprison; prison; imprisoned

هذِهِ
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

الأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “land” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

ظُلْمًا
ẓ-l-m → “wronged” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

وَمَنَ
m-n → “who” Distinctive

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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