Prayers and Meditations — §266

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 266 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ِينَ وَمَعْبُودُ العالَمِينَ وَمَحْبُوبُ العارِفِينَ وَمَقْصُودُ المُقَرَّبِينَ، وَكُلَّمَا أَحاطَتْ هذا السِّراجَ هُبُوبُ أَرْياحِ البَغْضآءِ مِنَ الأَشْقِيآءِ إِنَّهُ ما مُنِعَ عَنْ نُورِهِ حُبًّا لِجَمالِكَ، وَكُلَّمَا ازْدادَ الظُّلْمُ زَادَ شَوقِي فِي إِظْهارِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Though the fierce winds of the hatred of the wicked doers blew and beat on this Lamp, He was, at no time, in His love for Thy beauty, hindered from shedding the fragrance of His light. As the transgressions committed against Thee waxed greater and greater, my eagerness to reveal Thy Cause correspondingly increased, and as the tribulations deepened—and to this Thy glory beareth me witness—a fuller measure of Thy sovereignty and of Thy power was vouchsafed by me unto Thy creatures.

Translation Notes

وَمَعْبُودُ

ʿ-b-d

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

العالَمِينَ

ʿ-l-m

literal: world; universe; the worlds

العارِفِينَ

ʿ-r-f

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَمَقْصُودُ

q-ṣ-d

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

المُقَرَّبِينَ،

q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

وَكُلَّمَا

k-l-l → “Though the” Distinctive

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority; to rely; to trust; to place trust in

أَحاطَتْ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

السِّراجَ

s-r-j → “Lamp”

literal: lamp; light; illuminator

هُبُوبُ

h-b-b → “wafted” Distinctive

literal: blowing; onset; rushing of wind

أَرْياحِ

r-w-ḥ → “fierce winds”

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

البَغْضآءِ

b-gh-ḍ → “hatred”

literal: white; pure

مِنَ

m-n → “of”

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

الأَشْقِيآءِ

sh-q-y → “the wicked doers”

literal: wretched ones; the miserable; the wicked

إِنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “He”

literal: I, verily; behold I

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

مُنِعَ

m-n-ʿ → “hindered”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from shedding”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

نُورِهِ

n-w-r → “fragrance of His light”

literal: light; illumination

حُبًّا

ḥ-b-b → “in His love”

literal: love; affection

لِجَمالِكَ،

j-m-l → “Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

ازْدادَ

z-y-d → “waxed greater and greater”

literal: increase; excess; more; additional; to increase; to grow; to be added

الظُّلْمُ

ẓ-l-m → “transgressions committed” Distinctive

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

شَوقِي

sh-w-q → “longing” Distinctive

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

فِي

f-y → “to”

literal: in; in-it; in it

إِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r → “reveal”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Gleanings

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶