Prayers and Meditations — §351

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 351 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ذلِكَ بَيْنَ بِرِيَّتِكَ بِحَيْثُ لا يَعْرِفُنِي أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ بِاسْمِكَ، وَإِنِّيْ فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لا أَجْزَعُ بِما وَرَدَ عَلَيَّ فِي سَبِيلِكَ، وَلكِنْ أُشاهِدُ أَنَّ بِذِلَّتِي ضَعُفَتْ قُلُوبُ أَحِبَّائِكَ وَاسْتَفْرَحَتْ أَفْئِدَةُ أَعْدائِكَ بِحَيْثُ يَشْمَتُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ انْقَطَعُوا عَمَّا سِواكَ وَسَرُعُوا إِلى شَرِيعَةِ ذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ، وَقَدْ بَلَغُوا فِي الغَفْلَةِ إِلى مَقامٍ إِذا يَمُرُّونَ عَلَى أَحِبَّتِكَ يُحَرِّكُونَ رُؤوسَهُمْ اسْتِهْزاءً لأمْرِكَ وَيَقُولُونَ أَيْنَ رَبُّكُمُ الَّذِيْ تَذْكُرُونَهُ بِاللَّيالِي وَالأَيَّامِ وَأَيْنَ سُلْطانُكُمُ الَّذِيْ تَدْعُونَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All these things Thou hast noised abroad among Thy creatures, in such wise that none can recognize me, except as one who beareth Thy name. I swear by Thy glory! My lamentations are not for the things which have befallen me in Thy path, but are due to my recognition that by reason of mine abasement the hearts of them that love Thee have been sore shaken, and the souls of Thine adversaries have been so filled with joy that they rejoice over those who have detached themselves from all except Thee and have hastened towards the river of Thy remembrance and praise. So great is their waywardness that when meeting Thy loved ones, they shake their heads in derision of Thy Cause and say: “Where is your Lord Whom ye mention in the daytime and in the night season? Where is He to be found Whom ye call your Sovereign, to Whom ye summon all men to turn?” Their pride and haughtiness waxed greater and greater until they denied the power of Thy might and rejected Thy sovereignty and dominion.

Translation Notes

ذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thus” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

بِرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ → “Thy creatures”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “in such wise that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَعْرِفُنِي

ʿ-r-f → “recognize me”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

أَحَدٌ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

بِاسْمِكَ،

s-m-w → “beareth Thy name”

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

وَإِنِّيْ

ʾ-n-n → “I”

literal: I, verily; behold I

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “swear by Thy glory”

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

أَجْزَعُ

j-z-ʿ → “impatient”

literal: be-impatient; dismay; to be impatient/distressed

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “have befallen”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ،

s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَلكِنْ

l-k-n → “but”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

أُشاهِدُ

sh-h-d → “witness” Distinctive

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

أَنَّ

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بِذِلَّتِي

dh-l-l → “abasement”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

ضَعُفَتْ

ḍ-ʿ-f → “weakness” Distinctive

literal: weak; feeble; imperfect

قُلُوبُ

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

أَحِبَّائِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “of them that” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

وَاسْتَفْرَحَتْ

f-r-ḥ → “joy”

literal: to rejoice; to be glad; joy

أَفْئِدَةُ

f-ʾ-d → “souls”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

أَعْدائِكَ

ʿ-d-w → “of Thine adversaries”

literal: hostility, aggression, enmity, transgression

يَشْمَتُونَ

sh-m-t → “censure” Distinctive

literal: gloating; reproach; censure, gloating

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

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

انْقَطَعُوا

q-ṭ-ʿ → “have detached themselves”

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

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from all”

literal: with them; in their company

سِواكَ

s-w-y → “except Thee”

literal: other than; besides; except; equal; alike

وَسَرُعُوا

s-r-ʿ → “have hastened”

literal: speed; swiftness; haste

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

literal: to; to, toward; to, until

شَرِيعَةِ

sh-r-ʿ → “river”

literal: law; legislation; religious law; canon; ordinance

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “Thy remembrance”

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

وَثَنائِكَ،

th-n-y → “and praise”

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

وَقَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: and indeed; and already; conjunction indicating completed action

بَلَغُوا

b-l-gh → “teach” Distinctive

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

الغَفْلَةِ

gh-f-l → “waywardness”

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

مَقامٍ

q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

إِذا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

يَمُرُّونَ

m-r-r → “At one time” Distinctive

literal: to pass; to pass by; to go

يُحَرِّكُونَ

ḥ-r-k → “move” Distinctive

literal: move; movement; mover

رُؤوسَهُمْ

r-ʾ-s → “their heads”

literal: chief; leader; head; president; beginning

اسْتِهْزاءً

h-z-ʾ → “scorn”

literal: to mock; to ridicule; mockery

لأمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “of Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

وَيَقُولُونَ

q-w-l → “and say”

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

أَيْنَ

ʾ-y-n → “this Chapter”

literal: this; these

رَبُّكُمُ

r-b-b → “your Lord”

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

بِاللَّيالِي

l-y-l → “in the daytime”

literal: night; darkness

وَالأَيَّامِ

y-w-m → “Day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

وَأَيْنَ

ʾ-y-n → “Where”

literal: this; these

سُلْطانُكُمُ

s-l-ṭ → “your Sovereign”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

تَدْعُونَ

w-d-ʿ → “entrusted” Distinctive

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

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