Prayers and Meditations — §265

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 265 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَقَدْ كُنْتُ مُسْتَنْشِقًا نَفَحاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ فَلمَّا انْقَلَبَتِ الأَكْوانُ وَأَهْلُها وَالأَرْضُ وَما عَلَيْها كادَتْ أَنْ تَنْقَطِعَ نَسَماتُ اسْمِكَ السُّبْحانِ عَنِ الأَشْطارِ وَتَرْكُدَ أَرْياحُ رَحْمَتِكَ عَنِ الأَقْطارِ، أَقَمْتَنِي بِقُدْرَتِكَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ وَأَمَرْتَنِي بِإِظْهارِ سَلْطَنَتِكَ بَيْنَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، قُمْتُ بِحَولِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ وَنادَيْتُ الكُلَّ إِلى نَفْسِكَ، وَبَشَّرْتُ كُلَّ العِبادِ بِأَلْطافِكَ وَمَواهِبِكَ وَدَعوتُهُمْ إِلى هذا البَحْرِ الَّذِيْ كُلُّ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْهُ تُنادِي بِأَعْلى النِّداءِ بَيْنَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ بِأَنَّهُ مُحْيِي العالَمِينَ وَمُبْعِثُ العالَم

Shoghi Effendi Translation

And when the entire creation was stirred up, and the whole earth was convulsed, and the sweet savors of Thy name, the All-Praised, had almost ceased to breathe over Thy realms, and the winds of Thy mercy had well-nigh been stilled throughout Thy dominions, Thou didst, through the power of Thy might, raise me up among Thy servants, and bid me to show forth Thy sovereignty amidst Thy people. Thereupon I arose before all Thy creatures, strengthened by Thy help and Thy power, and summoned all the multitudes unto Thee, and announced unto all Thy servants Thy favors and Thy gifts, and invited them to turn towards this Ocean, every drop of the waters of which crieth out, proclaiming unto all that are in heaven and on earth that He is, in truth, the Fountain of all life, and the Quickener of the entire creation, and the Object of the adoration of all worlds, and the Best-Beloved of every understanding heart, and the Desire of all them that are nigh unto Thee.

Translation Notes

وَقَدْ

q-d

literal: and indeed; and already; conjunction indicating completed action

مُسْتَنْشِقًا

n-sh-q

literal: inhaling; inhale, breathe in; inhale

نَفَحاتِ

n-f-ḥ

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

فَلمَّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

انْقَلَبَتِ

q-l-b → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: to turn; to overturn; to reverse

الأَكْوانُ

k-w-n → “the entire creation”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

وَأَهْلُها

ʾ-h-l

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

وَالأَرْضُ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “whole earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَما

m-ʾ

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

عَلَيْها

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كادَتْ

k-w-d → “had almost”

literal: almost; to almost; almost, nearly

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “to breathe”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَنْقَطِعَ

q-ṭ-ʿ → “ceased”

literal: to cease; to be cut off; to break off

نَسَماتُ

n-s-m → “sweet savors”

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

اسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy name”

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

السُّبْحانِ

s-b-ḥ → “the All-Praised” Distinctive

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

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الأَشْطارِ

sh-ṭ-r → “the direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

وَتَرْكُدَ

r-k-d → “stilled”

literal: to be still/stagnate; be still; stiller

أَرْياحُ

r-w-ḥ → “winds”

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

الأَقْطارِ،

q-ṭ-r → “drop” Distinctive

literal: drop; region; country; rainfall

أَقَمْتَنِي

q-w-m → “raise me up”

literal: station; rank; standing place

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “through the power” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “among”

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

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَأَمَرْتَنِي

ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

بِإِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r → “to show forth” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

سَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “Thy people”

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

بِحَولِكَ

ḥ-w-l → “now” Distinctive

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

وَقُوَّتِكَ

q-w-y → “and Thy power”

literal: strength; power; might

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “all Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَنادَيْتُ

n-d-y → “and summoned”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

الكُلَّ

k-l-l → “all the multitudes”

literal: for us; to us

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

نَفْسِكَ،

n-f-s → “Thee” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَبَشَّرْتُ

b-sh-r → “and announced”

literal: human; glad-tidings; herald

بِأَلْطافِكَ

l-ṭ-f → “Thy favors”

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

وَمَواهِبِكَ

w-h-b → “and Thy gifts”

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَدَعوتُهُمْ

d-ʿ-w → “and invited them”

literal: call; invitation; claim

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

البَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “Ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

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

مِنْهُ

m-n → “of the waters of”

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

بِأَعْلى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مُحْيِي

ḥ-y-y → “Fountain of all life”

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

العالَمِينَ

ʿ-l-m → “worlds”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَمُبْعِثُ

b-ʿ-th → “sent down”

literal: sent; send; resurrection

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