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Prayers and Meditations — §311

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 311 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَيْ رَبِّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ عَلَى ما أَسْمَعْتَنِي نِدَائَكَ وَدَعَوْتَنِي إِلى نَفْسِكَ وَفَتَحْتَ عَيْنِيْ لِمُشَاهَدَةِ جَمالِكَ وَنَوَّرْتَ قَلْبِي بِعِرْفانِكَ وَقَدَّسْتَ صَدْرِيْ عَنْ شُبُهَاتِ المُشرِكيِنَ فِي أَيَّامِكَ، أَنَا الَّذِيْ يا إِلهِي كُنْتُ راقِدًا عَلَى البِسَاطِ أَرْسَلْتَ عَلَيَّ مُرْسَلاتِ عِناياتِكَ وَنَسَمَاتِ أَلْطَافِكَ وَأَيْقَظَتْنِي عَنِ النَّومِ مُقْبِلاً إِلى حَرَمِ عِرْفانِكَ وَمُتَوَجّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God, inasmuch as Thou hast inclined mine ear to Thy voice, and called me to Thyself, and opened mine eyes to gaze on Thy beauty, and illumined my heart with Thy knowledge, and sanctified my breast from the doubts of the infidels in Thy days. I am the one, O my God, who lay fast asleep on his couch, when lo, the messengers of Thy manifold mercies were sent down upon me by Thee, and the gentle winds of Thy loving-kindness blew over me, and roused me up, and caused me to set my face towards the sanctuary of Thy knowledge, and to fix mine eyes upon the splendors of the light of Thy face.

Translation Notes

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لَكَ
l → “His is”

literal: for; for you; for him

الحَمْدُ
ḥ-m-d → “Magnified be Thy name” Distinctive

literal: praise; to praise

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

أَسْمَعْتَنِي
s-m-ʿ → “hast inclined mine ear to”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

نِدَائَكَ
n-d-y → “Thy voice”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

وَدَعَوْتَنِي
d-ʿ-w → “and called me to”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

نَفْسِكَ
n-f-s → “Thyself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَفَتَحْتَ
f-t-ḥ → “and opened”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

عَيْنِيْ
ʿ-y-n → “mine eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

لِمُشَاهَدَةِ
sh-h-d → “witness”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

جَمالِكَ
j-m-l → “Thy beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

وَنَوَّرْتَ
n-w-r → “and illumined”

literal: light; lights; luminous

قَلْبِي
q-l-b → “my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

بِعِرْفانِكَ
ʿ-r-f → “with Thy knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَقَدَّسْتَ
q-d-s → “and sanctified”

literal: holiness; holy; sanctified

صَدْرِيْ
ṣ-d-r → “my breast”

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

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

شُبُهَاتِ
sh-b-h → “doubts”

literal: doubt; uncertainty; suspicion; resemblance; semblance

المُشرِكيِنَ
sh-r-k → “of the infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَيَّامِكَ،
y-w-m → “Thy days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

أَنَا
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

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

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

كُنْتُ
k-w-n → “lay” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

راقِدًا
r-q-d → “fast asleep”

literal: to sleep; to slumber; sleeping

البِسَاطِ
b-s-ṭ → “court”

literal: carpet; mat; carpet of realm; expanse; table; surface

أَرْسَلْتَ
r-s-l → “were sent down” Distinctive

literal: to send; sent

عِناياتِكَ
ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

وَنَسَمَاتِ
n-s-m → “and the gentle winds” Distinctive

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

أَلْطَافِكَ
l-ṭ-f → “of Thy loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

وَأَيْقَظَتْنِي
y-q-ẓ → “wakened” Distinctive

literal: awakened; awakening; title of a work

النَّومِ
n-w-m

literal: to sleep; to slumber

مُقْبِلاً
q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

حَرَمِ
ḥ-r-m → “sanctuary”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

وَمُتَوَجّ
w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; attention; turning

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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