Prayers and Meditations — §263

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 263 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

عَواطِفِكَ وَإِنِّي عَطْشانُ فَأَشْرِبْنِي مِنْ بُحُورِ إِفْضالِكَ وَغَرِيبٌ قَرِّبْنِيْ إِلى شَطْرِ مَواهِبِكَ وَعَليلٌ رَشِّحْ عَلَيَّ مِنْ أَبْحُرِ شِفائِكَ وَمَسْجُونٌ فَأَطْلِقْنِي بِمَشيَّتِكَ وَإِرادَتِكَ لأَطِيرَنَّ بِجَناحَيِ الانْقِطاعِ إِلى جَبَرُوتِ الاخْتِراعِ وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الفَعَّالُ لِما تَشآءُ، لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ المُهَيْمِنُ العَزِيزُ المُخْتارُ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Naked am I, O my God! Clothe me with the robe of Thy tender mercies. I am sore athirst; give me to drink of the oceans of Thy bountiful favor. I am a stranger; draw me nearer unto the source of Thy gifts. I am sick; sprinkle upon me the healing waters of Thy grace. I am a captive; rid me of my bondage, by the power of Thy might and through the force of Thy will, that I may soar on the wings of detachment towards the loftiest summits of Thy creation. Thou, verily, doest what Thou choosest. There is no God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Unconstrained.

Translation Notes

عَواطِفِكَ

ʿ-ṭ-f → “of Thy loving providence” Distinctive

literal: tenderness; affection; mercy; compassion

وَإِنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

عَطْشانُ

ʿ-ṭ-sh → “sore athirst”

literal: thirsty, athirst

فَأَشْرِبْنِي

sh-r-b → “give me to drink”

literal: robe; garment of honor; investiture

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

بُحُورِ

b-ḥ-r → “oceans”

literal: sea; ocean

إِفْضالِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “bountiful favor” Distinctive

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَغَرِيبٌ

gh-r-b → “West” Distinctive

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

قَرِّبْنِيْ

q-r-b → “draw me nearer”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

مَواهِبِكَ

w-h-b → “Thy gifts”

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَعَليلٌ

ʿ-l-l → “cause” Distinctive

literal: cause; reason; illness; defect

رَشِّحْ

r-sh-ḥ → “sprinkle”

literal: emanations; outpourings; effusions

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شِفائِكَ

literal: healing; healing, cure; healer

وَمَسْجُونٌ

s-j-n → “Prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

فَأَطْلِقْنِي

ṭ-l-q → “applied” Distinctive

literal: application; absolute; cheerful

بِمَشيَّتِكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “things” Distinctive

literal: will; intention; to will; to intend; to wish

وَإِرادَتِكَ

r-w-d → “Thy will”

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

لأَطِيرَنَّ

ṭ-y-r → “that I may soar”

literal: bird; fly; flight

بِجَناحَيِ

j-n-ḥ → “on the wings”

literal: wing; side; shelter; protection

الانْقِطاعِ

q-ṭ-ʿ → “of detachment”

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

جَبَرُوتِ

j-b-r → “dominion”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

الاخْتِراعِ

kh-r-ʿ → “Thy creation”

literal: invention; creation; origination

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

الفَعَّالُ

f-ʿ-l → “verily, doest”

literal: do; deed; do/act

لِما

l-m-ʾ → “When”

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

لا

l-ʾ → “is no” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “but” Distinctive

literal: end; hereafter; other

المُهَيْمِنُ

h-m-n → “the Help in Peril”

literal: the Protector; the Overseer; the Guardian

العَزِيزُ

ʿ-z-z → “the All-Glorious”

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

المُخْتارُ.

kh-y-r → “the Unconstrained”

literal: west; the western region

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