Prayers and Meditations — §350

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 350 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي تَرَى فَقْرِي وَافْتِقارِي وَضُرِّيْ وَاضْطِراري وَعَجْزِيْ وَانْكِسَارِيْ وَنُدْبَتِي وَبُكَائِي وَحُزْنِيْ وَابْتِلائِيْ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ قَدْ بَلَغْتُ فِي الذِّلَّةِ إِلى مَقامٍ يَسْتَهْزِءُ عَلَيَّ عِبادُكَ الغافِلُونَ وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ بِأَنِّي أَكُونُ مَعْرُوفًا بِاسْمِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ، وَلا يُرى فِي شَأْنِي إِلاَّ شَأْنُكَ وَلا فِي وَصْفِي إِلاَّ وَصْفُكَ وَلا فِي كَيْنُونَتِي إِلاَّ ظُهُوراتُ آياتِ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ وَلا فِي ذاتِيَّتِيْ إِلاَّ برُوزاتُ تَوحِيدِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ اشْتَهَرْتَ كُلَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest my poverty and my misery, my troubles and my needs, my utter helplessness and my extreme lowliness, my lamentations and my bitter wailing, the anguish of my soul and the afflictions which beset me. The power of Thy might beareth me witness! Such is the depth of mine abasement that Thy servants who have strayed far from Thy path deride me. Thou knowest that I am recognized as the bearer of Thy name among Thy creatures. Thou knowest that my station is but an image of Thy station, that my virtues recount Thy virtues, that within mine inmost being naught can be found except the revelations of Thy signs, and that my very essence is but a reflection of the evidences of Thy unity.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Praised”

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

اللَّهُمَّ

ʾ-l-h → “O Lord my God”

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

تَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “seest”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

فَقْرِي

f-q-r → “my poverty”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

وَضُرِّيْ

ḍ-r-r → “my troubles”

literal: harm; damage; injury; detriment

وَعَجْزِيْ

ʿ-j-z → “my utter helplessness”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

وَانْكِسَارِيْ

k-s-r → “degradation” Distinctive

literal: breaking; brokenness; abasement

وَنُدْبَتِي

n-d-b → “my lamentations”

literal: mourning; lamentation; wailing

وَبُكَائِي

b-k-y → “weep” Distinctive

literal: weep; wept; weeping/crying

وَحُزْنِيْ

ḥ-z-n → “sorrow”

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish; to grieve; to sorrow; to be sad

وَابْتِلائِيْ،

b-l-w → “afflictions which beset me” Distinctive

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “power of Thy might” Distinctive

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

قَدْ

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

بَلَغْتُ

b-l-gh

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

فِي

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الذِّلَّةِ

dh-l-l → “the depth of mine abasement”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

إِلى

ʾ-l-y

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

مَقامٍ

q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

يَسْتَهْزِءُ

h-z-ʾ → “mock”

literal: to mock; to ridicule; mockery

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

عِبادُكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

الغافِلُونَ

gh-f-l

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

وَأَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “Thou knowest”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بِأَنِّي

ʾ-n-n

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

أَكُونُ

k-w-n → “I am”

literal: beings; creatures; existents; creation; rancour; grudge; enmity; being; existence (as philosophical term)

مَعْرُوفًا

ʿ-r-f → “recognized as the bearer” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “of Thy name”

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

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “among”

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَلا

w-l-y → “and”

literal: no; not; negation particle

شَأْنِي

sh-ʾ-n → “my station” Distinctive

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: end; hereafter; other

وَصْفِي

w-ṣ-f → “attributes”

literal: to describe, characterize; description

ظُهُوراتُ

ẓ-h-r → “revelations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

آياتِ

ʾ-y-y → “Thy signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof

أَحَدِيَّتِكَ

ʾ-ḥ-d

literal: oneness; unity; absolute unicity; singleness of divine essence

ذاتِيَّتِيْ

dh-w-t → “my very essence”

literal: essence; essence, self; essence/self

برُوزاتُ

b-r-z → “reflection of the evidences”

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

تَوحِيدِكَ،

w-ḥ-d → “Thy unity”

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

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

اشْتَهَرْتَ

sh-h-r

literal: city; famous; month

كُلَّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

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