Prayers and Meditations — §279

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 279 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

عِبادِكَ وَبَعِيدًا مِنْ أَحِبَّائِكَ وَأَصْفِيائِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِأَمْطارِ سَحابِ رَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِيْ بِها أَنْبَتْتَ فِي قُلُوبِ المُوَحِّدِينَ أَوْرادَ الذِّكْرِ وَالبَيانِ وَأَزْهارَ الحِكْمَةِ وَالتِّبْيانِ بِأَنْ تَرْزُقَ عِبادَكَ وَذَوِي قَرابَتِي أَثْمارَ سِدْرَةِ فَردانِيَّتِكَ فِي هذِهِ الأَيَّامِ الَّتِيْ فِيها اسْتَوَيْتَ عَلَى عَرْشِ رَحْمانِيَّتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ لا تَمْنَعْهُمْ عَمَّا عِنْدَكَ ثْمَّ اكْتُبْ لَهُمْ ما يُصْعِدُهُمْ إِلى مَعارِجِ فَضْلِكَ وَأَلْطافِكَ، ثُمَّ أَشْرِبْهُمْ كَوْثَرَ عِرْفانِكَ وَقَدِّرْ لَهُمْ خَيْرَ الآخِرَةِ وَالأُولی، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ رَبُّ البَهآءِ وَمَحْبُوبُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Behold, then, O my God, my loneliness among Thy servants and my remoteness from Thy friends and Thy chosen ones. I beseech Thee, by the showers of the clouds of Thy mercy, whereby Thou hast caused the blossoms of Thy praise and utterance and the flowers of Thy wisdom and testimony to spring forth in the hearts of all them that have recognized Thy oneness, to supply Thy servants and my kindred with the fruits of the tree of Thy unity, in these days when Thou hast been established upon the throne of Thy mercy. Hinder them not, O my Lord, from attaining unto the things Thou dost possess, and write down for them that which will aid them to scale the heights of Thy grace and favor. Give them, moreover, to drink of the living waters of Thy knowledge, and ordain for them the good of this world and of the world to come.

Translation Notes

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَبَعِيدًا

b-ʿ-d → “my remoteness”

literal: after; behind; distance

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

أَحِبَّائِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “friends” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

وَأَصْفِيائِكَ،

ṣ-f-w → “chosen”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِأَمْطارِ

m-ṭ-r → “showers”

literal: rain

سَحابِ

s-ḥ-b → “clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

بِها

b-h-w → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

أَنْبَتْتَ

n-b-t → “bringeth forth” Distinctive

literal: sprouting; plant/herb; growth

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in it; in them

قُلُوبِ

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

المُوَحِّدِينَ

w-ḥ-d → “one” Distinctive

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

أَوْرادَ

w-र-d → “blossoms”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

الذِّكْرِ

dh-k-r → “praise”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

وَالبَيانِ

b-y-n → “utterance”

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

وَأَزْهارَ

z-h-r → “Beware, beware” Distinctive

literal: poison; venom; toxicity

الحِكْمَةِ

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَرْزُقَ

r-z-q → “supply”

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

وَذَوِي

dh-w-y → “and my”

literal: possessor of; one having; those having

قَرابَتِي

q-r-b → “kindred”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

أَثْمارَ

th-m-r → “fruits”

literal: fruit; the fruit

سِدْرَةِ

s-d-r → “tree”

literal: lote-tree; divine tree

فَردانِيَّتِكَ

f-r-d → “unity”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

هذِهِ

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

الأَيَّامِ

y-w-m → “days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

اسْتَوَيْتَ

s-w-y → “hast been established”

literal: level; equal; straight; upon a throne; resting upon; toward; to; direction of; other than; besides; except

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

عَرْشِ

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَمْنَعْهُمْ

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

عِنْدَكَ

ʿ-n-d → “Thou dost possess”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

ثْمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اكْتُبْ

k-t-b

literal: book; scripture; writing

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُصْعِدُهُمْ

ṣ-ʿ-d → “aid them to scale”

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

إِلى

ʾ-l-y

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

مَعارِجِ

ʿ-r-j → “heights”

literal: to ascend, climb, mount

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَأَلْطافِكَ،

l-ṭ-f → “favor”

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

أَشْرِبْهُمْ

sh-r-b → “to drink”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

كَوْثَرَ

k-w-th-r → “living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

عِرْفانِكَ

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَقَدِّرْ

q-d-r → “and ordain”

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

خَيْرَ

kh-y-r → “good”

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

الآخِرَةِ

ʾ-kh-r → “the world to come”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

وَالأُولی،

ʾ-w-l → “this world”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

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