Prayers and Meditations — §321

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 321 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا مَنْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ اضْطَرَبَ مِنْ سَطْوَتِكَ وَكُلُّ الأُمُورِ مَقْبُوضَةٌ فِي قَبْضَتِكَ وَكُلُّ الوُجُوهِ مُتَوَجِّهَةٌ إِلى شَطْرِ فَضْلِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ جَعَلْتَهُ رُوحَ الأَسْمآءِ فِي مَلَكُوتِها بِأَنْ تَحْفَظَنا مِنْ وَسَاوِسِ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْكَ وَكَفَرُوا بِنَفْسِكَ العَلِيِّ الأَعْلَى فِي هذا الظُّهُورِ الَّذِيْ مِنْهُ اضْطَرَبَ مَلَكُوتُ الأَسْمآءِ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا أَمَةٌ مِنْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

O Thou, at Whose dreadful majesty all things have trembled, in Whose grasp are the affairs of all men, towards Whose grace and mercy are set the faces of all Thy creatures! I entreat Thee, by Thy Name which Thou hast ordained to be the spirit of all names that are in the kingdom of names, to shield us from the whisperings of those who have turned away from Thee, and have repudiated the truth of Thy most august and most exalted Self, in this Revelation that hath caused the kingdom of Thy names to tremble.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

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

مَنْ

m-n → “Thou, at Whose” Distinctive

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

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

اضْطَرَبَ

ḍ-r-b → “have trembled”

literal: to be troubled, shaken, agitated; to tremble

سَطْوَتِكَ

s-ṭ-w → “dominion” Distinctive

literal: power; might/power; might

الأُمُورِ

ʾ-m-r → “affairs”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

مَقْبُوضَةٌ

q-b-ḍ → “grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الوُجُوهِ

w-j-h → “faces”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَرَحْمَتِكَ،

r-ḥ-m → “and mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I entreat” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy Name”

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

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

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

جَعَلْتَهُ

j-ʿ-l → “hast ordained”

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

رُوحَ

r-w-ḥ → “spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

مَلَكُوتِها

m-l-k → “kingdom of names” Distinctive

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَحْفَظَنا

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

وَسَاوِسِ

w-s-w-s → “of”

literal: whisper; whispering; temptation

هُمْ

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

أَعْرَضُوا

ʿ-r-ḍ → “have turned away” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عَنْكَ

ʿ-n → “from Thee” Distinctive

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وَكَفَرُوا

k-f-r → “and have repudiated”

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject

بِنَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “Self”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

العَلِيِّ

ʿ-l-w → “most august and most exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الظُّهُورِ

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

أَيْ

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

رَبِّ

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنَا

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَمَةٌ

literal: mother

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