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Prayers and Meditations — §296

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 296 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َحَدِيَّتِكَ أَرْياحُ النِّفَاقِ مِنْ كُلِّ الآفَاقِ أَيْنَ زُجَاجَةُ حِفْظِكَ وَإِكرامِكَ، فَيا إِلهِي تَرَى طَرْفَ هؤلآءِ الفُقَرآءِ إِلى أُفُقِ غَنَائِكَ وَأَفْئِدَةَ هؤُلآءِ الضُّعَفآءِ إِلى شَطْرِ قُدْرَتِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا مَقْصُودَ العارِفِينَ وَإِلهَ العالَمِينَ لَمَّا اجْتَذَبْتَهُمْ بِكَلِمَتِكَ العُلْيا لا تُبْعِدْهُمْ عَنْ سُرَادِقِ الَّذِيْ رَفَعْتَهُ بِاسْمِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou seest, O my God, how the eyes of these poor creatures are bent upon the horizon of Thy riches, how the hearts of these helpless ones are set in the direction of Thy might. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the sole Desire of them that have recognized Thee, and the Object of the adoration of the entire creation, not to suffer them, now that Thou hast attracted them by Thy most exalted Word, to be far removed from the Tabernacle which Thou hast reared up by Thy name, the All-Glorious.

Translation Notes

َحَدِيَّتِكَ
ḥ-d-y

literal: sharp edge, boundary

أَرْياحُ
r-w-ḥ

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

النِّفَاقِ
n-f-q

literal: hypocrisy; sedition; discord; betrayal

مِنْ
m-n

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

كُلِّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

أَيْنَ
ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

زُجَاجَةُ
z-j-j

literal: glass

حِفْظِكَ
ḥ-f-ẓ

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

وَإِكرامِكَ،
k-r-m

literal: generous; generosity; bounty

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

تَرَى
r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest”

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

طَرْفَ
ṭ-r-f → “eyes”

literal: extremity; end; edge; outskirt; periphery

هؤلآءِ
h-ʾ-l → “these”

literal: these

الفُقَرآءِ
f-q-r → “poor creatures”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

أُفُقِ
ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon, direction, region; horizon; sun

غَنَائِكَ
gh-n-y → “of Thy riches”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

وَأَفْئِدَةَ
f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

الضُّعَفآءِ
ḍ-ʿ-f → “weakness” Distinctive

literal: weak; weakness; weaken

شَطْرِ
sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

قُدْرَتِكَ،
q-d-r → “of Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا
y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

مَقْصُودَ
q-ṣ-d → “sole Desire”

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

العارِفِينَ
ʿ-r-f → “recognized Thee” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَإِلهَ
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

العالَمِينَ
ʿ-l-m → “the entire creation” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

لَمَّا
l-m-ʾ → “When”

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

اجْتَذَبْتَهُمْ
j-dh-b → “hast attracted them”

literal: to draw, attract, pull; to be enraptured

بِكَلِمَتِكَ
k-l-m → “by Thy most exalted Word”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

العُلْيا
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُبْعِدْهُمْ
b-ʿ-d → “to be far removed”

literal: after; behind; distance

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

سُرَادِقِ
s-r-d-q → “Tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

رَفَعْتَهُ
r-f-ʿ → “Thou hast reared up” Distinctive

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

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “by Thy name, the All-Glorious”

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

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