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Prayers and Meditations — §304

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 304 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا مَنْ بِيَدِكَ مَلَكُوتُ الاَسْمآءِ وَفِي قَبْضَةِ قُدْرَتِكَ مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمآءِ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الأَبْهَى الَّذِيْ جَعَلْتَهُ هَدَفًا لِسِهَامِ القَضآءِ فِي سَبِيلِكَ يا مَلِيكَ البَقآءِ بِاَنْ تَخْرُقَ أَحْجَابَ الَّتِيْ مَنَعَتْ بَرِيَّتَكَ عَنْ أُفُقِ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ لَعَلَّ يَتَوَجَّهُونَ إِلى شَطْرِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَيَتَقَرَّبوُنَ إِلى أُفُقِ عِنايَتِكَ، اَيْ رَبِّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded be Thy name, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of all names, and in the grasp of Whose might are all that are in heaven and all that are on earth! I entreat Thee, by Him Who is Thy Most Effulgent Name Whom Thou hast made a target for the darts of Thy decree in Thy path, O Thou the King of eternity, to rend asunder the veils that have shut off Thy creatures from the horizon of Thy glory, that haply they may turn their faces in the direction of Thy mercy, and draw nigh unto the Dayspring of Thy loving-kindness.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Lauded”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

يا
y-ʾ → “O ye”

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

مَنْ
m-n → “from”

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

بِيَدِكَ
y-d-y → “in Whose hands”

literal: it is necessary; it behooves; one must

مَلَكُوتُ
m-l-k → “kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الاَسْمآءِ
s-m-w → “of all names”

literal: heaven; sky

وَفِي
f-y → “in the”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

قَبْضَةِ
q-b-ḍ → “grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

قُدْرَتِكَ
q-d-r → “might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “entreat” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

الأَبْهَى
b-h-w → “Most Effulgent” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

جَعَلْتَهُ
j-ʿ-l → “hast made”

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

هَدَفًا
h-d-f → “target”

literal: target; goal; aim

لِسِهَامِ
s-h-m → “for the darts”

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

القَضآءِ
q-ḍ-y → “decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

البَقآءِ
b-q-y → “eternity”

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

بِاَنْ
ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَخْرُقَ
kh-r-q → “rend asunder”

literal: tear; pierce; tear/rend

أَحْجَابَ
ḥ-j-b → “veils”

literal: stone; rock

الَّتِيْ
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

مَنَعَتْ
m-n-ʿ → “have shut off” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

بَرِيَّتَكَ
b-r-ʾ → “creatures”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

أُفُقِ
ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

أَحَدِيَّتِكَ
ʾ-ḥ-d → “glory”

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

لَعَلَّ
l-ʿ-l → “haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

يَتَوَجَّهُونَ
w-j-h → “turn their faces”

literal: face; attention; turning

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

شَطْرِ
sh-ṭ-r

literal: side, direction; half; to split

رَحْمَتِكَ
r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وَيَتَقَرَّبوُنَ
q-r-b → “draw nigh unto”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

عِنايَتِكَ،
ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

اَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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