Prayers and Meditations — §312

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 312 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ِهًا إِلى أَنْوارِ جَمَالِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا الفَقِيرُ قَدْ تَشَبَّثْتُ بِذَيْلِ غَنائِكَ وَهَرَبْتُ عَنِ الظُّلْمَةِ وَالغَفْلَةِ إِلى بَوارِقِ أَنْوارِ وَجْهِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لَوْ أَشْكُرُكَ بِدَوامِ مَلَكُوتِكَ وَجَبَرُوتِكَ لَيَكُونُ قَليلاً عِنْدَ عَطَاياكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَسْئَلُكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am but a poor creature, O my Lord! Behold me clinging to the hem of Thy riches. I have fled from darkness and from waywardness unto the brightness of the light of Thy countenance. Were I—and to this Thy glory beareth me witness—to render thanksgiving unto Thee, through the whole continuance of Thy kingdom and the duration of the heaven of Thine omnipotence, I would still have failed to repay Thy manifold bestowals.

Translation Notes

ِهًا

w-j-h

literal: He; He is

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

أَنْوارِ

n-w-r → “brightness of the light”

literal: light; illumination

جَمَالِكَ،

j-m-l → “Thy countenance” Distinctive

literal: beauty; comeliness

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O my” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنَا

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الفَقِيرُ

f-q-r → “a poor creature”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

تَشَبَّثْتُ

sh-b-th → “clinging to”

literal: cling; clinging; clinging/holding fast

بِذَيْلِ

dh-y-l → “hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

غَنائِكَ

gh-n-y → “of Thy riches”

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

وَهَرَبْتُ

h-r-b → “I have fled”

literal: flee; fleeing; fled

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from darkness”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

الظُّلْمَةِ

ẓ-l-m

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

وَالغَفْلَةِ

gh-f-l → “from waywardness”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

بَوارِقِ

b-r-q

literal: lightning; flashes; flashes, lightning

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “glory”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

أَشْكُرُكَ

sh-k-r → “render thanksgiving unto Thee”

literal: thankfulness, gratitude; to give thanks, be grateful; manifest; evident; apparent; clear

بِدَوامِ

d-w-m → “as long as”

literal: always; continually; perpetually; constantly

مَلَكُوتِكَ

m-l-k → “of Thy kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَجَبَرُوتِكَ

j-b-r → “heaven”

literal: compelled; forced; constrained

لَيَكُونُ

k-w-n → “I would still have failed” Distinctive

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

قَليلاً

q-l-l

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

عِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “possess” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

عَطَاياكَ،

ʿ-ṭ-w → “Thy manifold bestowals”

literal: bounty; gift; giving

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶