Prayers and Meditations — §259

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 259 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

عُوا عِبادَكَ عَنِ التَّوَجُّهِ إِلَيْكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ عَلَى كُلِّ ذلِكَ أَسْئَلُكَ بِأَنْ تُوَفِّقَنِيْ وَأَحِبَّتِي لإِعْلآءِ كَلِمَتِكَ ثُمَّ أَثْبِتْنا عَلَى شَأْنٍ لا يَمْنَعُنا شَيْءٌ مِنْ مَكارِهِ الدُّنْيا وَشَدائِدِها عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

For all these things I offer thanksgiving unto Thee, O my Lord! I implore Thee to assist me and them that love me to magnify Thy Word, and to endow us with such strength that the ills of this world and its tribulations will be powerless to hinder us from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues. Powerful art Thou to do all things; resplendent art Thou above all things.

Translation Notes

عِبادَكَ

ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

التَّوَجُّهِ

w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إِلَيْكَ،

ʾ-l-y

literal: one; a single

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لَكَ

l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

الحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d → “thanksgiving”

literal: praise; to praise

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “For” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

ذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thus” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُوَفِّقَنِيْ

w-f-q → “assist”

literal: accord, agreement, harmony; to agree, accord with

وَأَحِبَّتِي

ḥ-b-b → “and them that love me”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

كَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m → “Thy Word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أَثْبِتْنا

th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; matter; station; rank; importance

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَمْنَعُنا

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: to howl, cry out; peoples, nations

شَيْءٌ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

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

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

مَكارِهِ

k-r-h → “abhor” Distinctive

literal: blind; darkness

الدُّنْيا

d-n-w → “this world”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm

وَشَدائِدِها

sh-d-d → “its tribulations”

literal: strong; severe; intense; violent

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “remembering” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

وَثَنائِكَ،

th-n-y → “extolling” Distinctive

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy

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