Prayers and Meditations — §319
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 319 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي كُلَّمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَكَ يَمْنَعُنِي عُلُوُّكَ وَاقْتِدارُكَ لأنِّي لَوْ أَذْكُرُكَ بِدَوامِ جَبَرُوتِكَ وَبَقَاءِ مَلَكُوتِكَ أَرى بِأَنَّهُ يَرْجِعُ إِلى مِثْلِي وَشِبْهِي وَهُو مَخْلُوقٌ بِأَمْرِكَ وَذُوِّتَ بِإِرادَتِكَ، وَكُلَّما يَجْرِيْ مِنْ قَلَمِيْ اسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمائِكَ أَسْمَعُ حَنِينَهُ فِي هَجْرِكَ وَصَرِيخَهُ فِي فِراقِكَ، أَشْهَدْ بِأَنَّ ما سِواكَ خَلْقُكَ وَفِي قَبْضَتِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ لَوْ تَقْبَلُ مِنْهُمْ ذِكْرًا أَوْ عَمَلًا إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلاَّ مِنْ بَدَائِعِ فَضْلِكَ وَمَواهِبِكَ وَظُهُوراتِ كَرَمِكَ وَإِحْسانِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الأَعْظَمِ الَّذِيْ بِهِ فَصَّلْتَ
Shoghi Effendi Translation
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I attempt to make mention of Thee, I am hindered by the sublimity of Thy station and the overpowering greatness of Thy might. For were I to praise Thee throughout the length of Thy dominion and the duration of Thy sovereignty, I would find that my praise of Thee can befit only such as are like unto me, who are themselves Thy creatures, and who have been generated through the power of Thy decree and been fashioned through the potency of Thy will. And at whatever time my pen ascribeth glory to any one of Thy names, methinks I can hear the voice of its lamentation in its remoteness from Thee, and can recognize its cry because of its separation from Thy Self. I testify that everything other than Thee is but Thy creation and is held in the hollow of Thy hand. To have accepted any act or praise from Thy creatures is but an evidence of the wonders of Thy grace and bountiful favors, and a manifestation of Thy generosity and providence.
Translation Notes
كُلَّمَا
literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses
مَخْلُوقٌ
literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct
وَظُهُوراتِ
literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation
