Prayers and Meditations — §33

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 33 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ُوا ظَنُّوا بِأَنَّهُمْ مُطْفِئُ نُورِكَ وَمُخْمِدُ نارِكَ وَمُرْكِدُ أَرْياحِ فَضْلِكَ، لا فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكنِ البَلايا حامِلَ حِكْمَتِكَ وَالقَضايا وَعاءَ تَدْبِيرِكَ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَعْتَرِضَ عَلَيْنا وَلَوْ يَجْتَمِعُ أَهْلُ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ، وَإِنِّي لَوْ أَذْكُرُ ما أَرَى مِنْ بَدائِعِ حِكْمَتِكَ لَيُقْطَعُ أَكْبادُ أَعْدائِكَ، فَسُبْحَانَكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

They that are shut out as by a veil from Thee have imagined that they have the power to put out Thy light, and to quench Thy fire, and to still the winds of Thy grace. Nay, and to this Thy might beareth me witness! Had not every tribulation been made the bearer of Thy wisdom, and every ordeal the vehicle of Thy providence, no one would have dared oppose us, though the powers of earth and heaven were to be leagued against us. Were I to unravel the wondrous mysteries of Thy wisdom which are laid bare before me, the reins of Thine enemies would be cleft asunder.

Translation Notes

ُوا

w-ʾ-y

literal: by; by (oath particle)

ظَنُّوا

ẓ-n-n → “imagined”

literal: conjecture; think; suppositions

بِأَنَّهُمْ

ʾ-n-n → “that they”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

مُطْفِئُ

ṭ-f-ʾ → “put out”

literal: extinguish; extinguishing; to extinguish

نُورِكَ

n-w-r → “Thy light”

literal: light; illumination

وَمُخْمِدُ

kh-m-d → “quench”

literal: extinguish; extinguished; extinguishing

نارِكَ

n-ʾ-r → “Thy fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

وَمُرْكِدُ

r-k-d → “stilled”

literal: to be still/stagnate; be still; stiller

أَرْياحِ

r-w-ḥ → “winds”

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

فَضْلِكَ،

f-ḍ-l → “Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “might”

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

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

لَمْ

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يَكنِ

k-w-n

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

البَلايا

b-l-w

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

حامِلَ

ḥ-m-l → “bearer”

literal: to bear; to endure; to carry; to tolerate

حِكْمَتِكَ

ḥ-k-m → “Thy wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

وَالقَضايا

q-ḍ-y → “decree”

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

وَعاءَ

w-ʿ-y → “retentive” Distinctive

literal: retentive; vessel, goblet; attentive

تَدْبِيرِكَ

d-b-r → “Thy providence”

literal: deliberation; consideration; prudence; management; planning; counsel

لَنْ

l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

يَقْدِرَ

q-d-r → “power” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أَحَدٌ

ʾ-ḥ-d

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يَعْتَرِضَ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “oppose”

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

عَلَيْنا

ʿ-l-y → “against” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

يَجْتَمِعُ

j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather, assemble, come together

أَهْلُ

ʾ-h-l

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

السَّمَواتِ

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالأَرْضِ،

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth and”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَإِنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

أَذْكُرُ

dh-k-r

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

ما

m-ʾ

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

أَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest” Distinctive

literal: Persian form from آراستن (ārāstan) ‘to adorn/invest’, root ا-ر-ا, not ر-ء-ي (to see)

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

بَدائِعِ

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

لَيُقْطَعُ

q-ṭ-ʿ → “cleft asunder”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

أَكْبادُ

k-b-d → “hearts”

literal: liver; soul; essence

أَعْدائِكَ،

ʿ-d-w → “Thine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

فَسُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶