Prayers and Meditations — §290

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 290 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َتْ لَئَالِئُ عِلْمِكَ المَكْنُونُ وَجَواهِرُ أَسْرارِكَ المَخْزُونُ بِأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَهُمْ مَحْرُومًا عَمَّا أَرَدْتَ لَهُمْ بِجُودِكَ وَإِحْسانِكَ وَلا تَجْعَلَهُمْ بَعِيدًا عَنْ شاطئِ بَحْرِ قُرْبِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ يَشْهَدُ كُلُّ الوُجُودِ مِنَ الغَيْبِ وَالشُّهُودِ بِأَنَّ رَحْمَت

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great Name, to enrapture the nations through the potency of the Word which Thou didst ordain to be the king of all words, the Word whereby the goodly pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the gem-like mysteries which were wrapped up within Thee were unraveled. Deprive them not, by Thy grace and bounty, of the things Thou didst desire for them, and suffer them not to be far removed from the shores of the ocean of Thy presence.

Translation Notes

لَئَالِئُ

l-ʾ-l → “goodly pearls”

literal: night; darkness

عِلْمِكَ

ʿ-l-m → “hidden wisdom” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

المَكْنُونُ

k-n-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform

وَجَواهِرُ

j-w-r → “precincts of Thy court” Distinctive

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

أَسْرارِكَ

s-r-r

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

المَخْزُونُ

kh-z-n → “treasury” Distinctive

literal: to store, to treasure; storehouse, depository, treasury

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَجْعَلَهُمْ

j-ʿ-l → “Deprive them”

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

مَحْرُومًا

ḥ-r-m

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

أَرَدْتَ

r-w-d → “Thou didst desire”

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

بِجُودِكَ

j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وَإِحْسانِكَ

ḥ-s-n → “and bounty” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَلا

w-l-y → “not”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

بَعِيدًا

b-ʿ-d → “far removed”

literal: after; behind; distance

شاطئِ

sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

بَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

قُرْبِكَ،

q-r-b → “Thy presence”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my God” Distinctive

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

يَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

كُلُّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

الوُجُودِ

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

مِنَ

m-n

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

الغَيْبِ

gh-y-b

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable

رَحْمَت

r-ḥ-m

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

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