Prayers and Meditations — §284

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 284 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ي فِي أَيَّامِكَ وَلَوْلا سَفْكَ الدِّمآءِ فِي حُبِّكَ بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تَحْمَرُّ وُجُوهُ أَصْفِيائِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ طِرازُ وُجُوهِ مُحِبِّيكَ دَمُ الَّذِيْ يَجْرِي مِنْ جِباهِهِمْ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ فِي حُبِّكَ، فَيا إِلهِي تَرَى بِأَنَّ كُلَّ عَظْمٍ مِنْ عِظامِي جُعِلَ مِزْمارَ وَحْيِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

But for the troubles that touch me in Thy path, O my God, how else could my heart rejoice in Thy days; and were it not for the blood which is shed for love of Thee, what else could tinge the faces of Thy chosen ones before the eyes of Thy creatures? I swear by Thy might! The ornament that adorneth the countenance of Thy dear ones is the blood which, in their love for Thee, floweth out of their foreheads over their faces.

Translation Notes

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَيَّامِكَ

y-w-m → “Thy days”

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

وَلَوْلا

l-w-l → “rifle”

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

سَفْكَ

s-f-k → “shed”

literal: to shed; to spill; bloodshed; to shed (blood)

الدِّمآءِ

d-m-y → “the blood”

literal: breath; moment; instant

حُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b → “of Thee” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

بِأَيِّ

ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

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

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

تَحْمَرُّ

ḥ-m-r → “Crimson” Distinctive

literal: red; crimson; red/crimson

وُجُوهُ

w-j-h → “faces”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

أَصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w → “of Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “before” Distinctive

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “eyes of Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “I swear by Thy might”

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

طِرازُ

ṭ-r-z → “ornament”

literal: ornament; adornment; embroidery; stripe

دَمُ

d-m-m → “blood”

literal: blood; moment, breath; moment

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

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

يَجْرِي

j-r-y → “floweth out”

literal: trade; commerce; business

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

جِباهِهِمْ

j-b-h → “their foreheads”

literal: to face; to confront

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “over” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فَيا

y-ʾ

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

تَرَى

r-ʾ-y

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

كُلَّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

عَظْمٍ

ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

جُعِلَ

j-ʿ-l

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

مِزْمارَ

z-m-r

literal: flute / reed

وَحْيِكَ

w-ḥ-y

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶