Prayers and Meditations — §264

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 264 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي تَعْلَمُ بِأَنِّي ما أَرَدْتُ فِي أَمْرِكَ نَفْسِيْ بَل نَفْسَكَ وَلا إِظْهارَ شَأْنِي بَلْ إِظْهارَ شَأْنِكَ وَما قَصَدْتُ راحَتِي وَسُرُورِي وَبَهْجَتِي فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَرِضائِكَ، وَكُنْتُ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوالِ ناظِرًا إِلى أَوامِرِكَ وَمُتَوَجِّهًا إِلى ما أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ فِي أَلْواحِكَ، وَما أَصْبَحْتُ إِلاَّ بِذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ وَما أَمْسَيْتُ إِلاَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest that my sole aim in revealing Thy Cause hath been to reveal Thee and not my self, and to manifest Thy glory rather than my glory. In Thy path, and to attain Thy pleasure, I have scorned rest, joy, delight. At all times and under all conditions my gaze hath been fixed on Thy precepts, and mine eyes bent upon the things Thou hast bidden me observe in Thy Tablets. I have wakened every morning to the light of Thy praise and Thy remembrance, and reached every evening inhaling the fragrances of Thy mercy.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glorified”

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “Thou knowest”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بِأَنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أَرَدْتُ

r-w-d → “desire”

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

فِي

f-y → “In”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

نَفْسِيْ

n-f-s → “my self” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

بَل

b-l → “but”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

وَلا

w-l-y → “and not” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِظْهارَ

ẓ-h-r → “to manifest” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

شَأْنِي

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise”

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

قَصَدْتُ

q-ṣ-d → “purpose” Distinctive

literal: intended; purpose; desired

راحَتِي

r-w-ḥ → “rest”

literal: rest; ease; comfort; tranquility

وَسُرُورِي

s-r-r → “joy”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

وَبَهْجَتِي

b-h-j → “rejoice” Distinctive

literal: joy; splendor; beauty; radiance; delight