Prayers and Meditations — §285

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 285 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَمِنْهُ ظَهَرَتْ آياتُ وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ وَبَيِّناتُ فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ، يا إِلهِي أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ المُجَلِّي عَلَى الأَشْيآءِ بِأَنْ تَخْلُقَ عِبادًا يَسْمَعُنَّ نَغَماتِ الَّتِيْ ارْتَفَعَتْ عَنْ يَمِينِ عَرْشِ عَظَمَتِكَ، ثُمَّ أَشْرِبْهُمْ رَاحَ رَحْمَتِكَ مِنْ راحَةِ فَضْلِكَ لِيَسْتَرِيحُوا بِها فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَيَتَوَجَّهُوا مِنْ شِمالِ الظُّنُونِ وَالأَوْهامِ إِلى يَمِيْنِ اليَقِينِ وَالاطْمِينانِ، أَيْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou beholdest, O my God, how every bone in my body soundeth like a pipe with the music of Thine inspiration, revealing the signs of Thy oneness and the clear tokens of Thy unity. I entreat Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which irradiateth all things, to raise up such servants as shall incline their ears to the voice of the melodies that hath ascended from the right hand of the throne of Thy glory. Make them, then, to quaff from the hand of Thy grace the wine of Thy mercy, that it may assure their hearts, and cause them to turn away from the left hand of idle fancies and vain imaginings to the right hand of confidence and certitude.

Translation Notes

وَمِنْهُ

m-n → “from”

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

ظَهَرَتْ

ẓ-h-r → “revealing” Distinctive

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

آياتُ

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ

w-ḥ-d → “Thy oneness”

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

وَبَيِّناتُ

b-y-n → “clear tokens”

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

فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ،

f-r-d → “Thy unity”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I entreat” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy Name”

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

المُجَلِّي

j-l-w → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: effulgence; manifestation; revelation; manifestation, revelation, appearance

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأَشْيآءِ

sh-y-ʾ → “all things”

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَخْلُقَ

kh-l-q

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

عِبادًا

ʿ-b-d → “such servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

يَسْمَعُنَّ

s-m-ʿ → “as shall incline their ears”

literal: hear; hearing; heard

نَغَماتِ

n-gh-m → “melodies”

literal: melody; tone; note

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

ارْتَفَعَتْ

r-f-ʿ → “hath ascended” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

يَمِينِ

y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

عَرْشِ

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

عَظَمَتِكَ،

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Thy glory” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “Make them, then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

أَشْرِبْهُمْ

sh-r-b → “to quaff” Distinctive

literal: to drink; to imbibe

رَاحَ

r-w-ḥ → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: rest; comfort; ease; relief

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

بِها

b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

فِي

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَنْفُسِهِمْ

n-f-s → “their hearts” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَيَتَوَجَّهُوا

w-j-h → “cause them to turn”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

شِمالِ

sh-m-l → “left hand”

literal: to comprehend; to include; whole; all

الظُّنُونِ

ẓ-n-n → “idle fancies”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَالأَوْهامِ

w-h-m → “vain imaginings”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

اليَقِينِ

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

وَالاطْمِينانِ،

ṭ-m-n → “confidence”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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