Prayers and Meditations — §348

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 348 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

خالِصَةً لِوَجْهِكَ وَمُسْتَقْرِبَةً إِلى حَرَمِ أَمْرِكَ وَكَعْبَةِ قُرْبِكَ، ثُمَّ قَدِّرْ لِي يا إِلهِي ما قَدَّرْتَهُ لِخِيْرَةِ إِمائكَ، ثُمَّ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيَّ ما يَسْتَضِيْءُ بِهِ وَجْهِي وَيَسْتَنِيرُ بِهِ صَدْرِيْ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Cleanse me with the waters of Thy mercy, O my Lord, and make me wholly Thine, and cause me to approach the Tabernacle of Thy Cause and the adored Sanctuary of Thy Presence. Ordain, then, for me all the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones among Thy handmaidens, and rain down upon me that which will illuminate my face and enlighten my heart.

Translation Notes

خالِصَةً

kh-l-ṣ → “wholly”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

لِوَجْهِكَ

w-j-h → “Thine” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

وَمُسْتَقْرِبَةً

q-r-b → “cause me to approach”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

حَرَمِ

ḥ-r-m

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

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

وَكَعْبَةِ

k-ʿ-b → “adored Sanctuary”

literal: Kaaba; cube/Kaaba; Kaaba/lodestar

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “Ordain, then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

لِي

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: for us; to us

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my Lord” Distinctive

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَدَّرْتَهُ

q-d-r → “Thou didst ordain”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لِخِيْرَةِ

kh-y-r → “chosen ones” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

إِمائكَ،

ʾ-m-y → “Thy handmaidens”

literal: people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden

أَنْزِلْ

n-z-l → “rain down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “upon me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

يَسْتَضِيْءُ

ḍ-w-ʾ → “shineth” Distinctive

literal: light; illuminated; light/radiance

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

وَيَسْتَنِيرُ

n-w-r → “and enlighten”

literal: light; lights; luminous

صَدْرِيْ،

ṣ-d-r → “my heart”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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