Prayers and Meditations — §292

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 292 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

بِأَنِّي أَحَدٌ مِنْ عِبادِكَ ذُقْتُ حَلاوَةَ بَيَانِكَ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ وَفَرْدانِيَّتِكَ وَتَوَجَّهْتُ إِلى مَصْدَرِ أَسْمائِكَ الحُسْنى وَمَطْلَعِ صِفاتِكَ العُلْيا، وَأَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُدْخِلَنِيْ فِي لُجَّةِ بَحْرِ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ وَطَمْطامِ يَمِّ وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ، أَيْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of Thy servants. I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy speech, and acknowledged Thy unity and Thy singleness, and set my face towards the Source of Thy most excellent names and the Dayspring of Thy transcendent attributes, and wished to be enabled by Thee to immerse myself beneath the ocean of Thy oneness and to be submerged by the mighty waters of Thy unity.

Translation Notes

بِأَنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that I am”

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

أَحَدٌ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

ذُقْتُ

dh-w-q → “have tasted”

literal: taste; tasted; taster

حَلاوَةَ

ḥ-l-w → “sweetness”

literal: sweetest; most sweet; most pleasant

بَيَانِكَ

b-y-n → “Thy speech” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident

وَاعْتَرَفْتُ

ʿ-r-f → “and acknowledged”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ

w-ḥ-d → “Thy unity”

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

وَفَرْدانِيَّتِكَ

f-r-d → “Thy singleness”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

وَتَوَجَّهْتُ

w-j-h → “and set my face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

مَصْدَرِ

ṣ-d-r → “Source”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

أَسْمائِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy most excellent names”

literal: name; title; designation

الحُسْنى

ḥ-s-n

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَمَطْلَعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

صِفاتِكَ

w-ṣ-f → “Thy transcendent attributes”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

العُلْيا،

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَأَرَدْتَ

r-y-d → “wished” Distinctive

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

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُدْخِلَنِيْ

d-kh-l → “enter” Distinctive

literal: enter; entered; entering

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

لُجَّةِ

l-j-j → “ocean”

literal: ocean, sea; depths, abyss

بَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

وَطَمْطامِ

ṭ-m-m → “Catastrophe” Distinctive

literal: abyss; depths; abundance; multitude

يَمِّ

y-m-m → “sea”

literal: sea; sea, ocean

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶