Prayers and Meditations — §338

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 338 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

المُلُوكَ أَسْئَلُكَ بِنَفْسِكَ وَبِمَظاهِرِ أَمْرِكَ وَمَطالِعِ قُدْرَتِكَ بِأَنْ تَكْتُبَ لَنا ما كَتَبْتَهُ لأصْفِيائِكَ وَلا تَجْعَلَنا مَحْرُومِينَ عَمَّا قَدَّرْتَهُ لأَوْلِيائِكَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا سَمِعُوا نِدائَكَ سَرُعُوا إِلَيْكَ، وَإِذَا أَشْرَقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْوارُ الوَجْهِ سَجَدُوا لَهُ، أَيْ رَبِّ نَحْنُ عِبادُكَ وَفِي قَبْضَةِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Far, immeasurably far, art Thou exalted above all things, O Thou Who art the King of Kings! I entreat Thee by Thy Self and by Them Who are the Manifestations of Thy Cause and the Daysprings of Thine authority to write down for us that which Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. Withhold not from us that which Thou didst ordain for Thy loved ones, who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened unto Thee, and when the splendors of the light of Thy countenance were shed upon them, instantly prostrated themselves in adoration before Thy face.

Translation Notes

المُلُوكَ

m-l-k → “King of Kings”

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I entreat Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِنَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “by Thy Self” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

وَبِمَظاهِرِ

ẓ-h-r → “by Them Who are”

literal: manifestation; appearance; revelation

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

وَمَطالِعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Daysprings”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

قُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لَنا

l-n → “neither”

literal: for us; to us

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

كَتَبْتَهُ

k-t-b → “Thou hast written down”

literal: book; scripture; writing

لأصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w → “for Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَجْعَلَنا

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

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

مَحْرُومِينَ

ḥ-r-m → “Withhold not”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from us”

literal: with them; in their company

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

إِذَا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

سَمِعُوا

s-m-ʿ → “reached”

literal: hear; hearing; heard

نِدائَكَ

n-d-y → “Thy call”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons

سَرُعُوا

s-r-ʿ → “hastened”

literal: speed; swiftness; haste

إِلَيْكَ،

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

أَشْرَقَتْ

sh-r-q → “were shed” Distinctive

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “upon them”

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

أَنْوارُ

n-w-r → “splendors”

literal: light; illumination

الوَجْهِ

w-j-h → “the light of Thy countenance” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

سَجَدُوا

s-j-d → “worship” Distinctive

literal: prostrate; mosque; prostrated

لَهُ،

h-w → “is”

literal: for them both; to both of them (dual pronoun)

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

نَحْنُ

literal: we

عِبادُكَ

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَفِي

f-y

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

قَبْضَةِ

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

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