Prayers and Meditations — §364

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 364 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فِي أَيَّامِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ ما مِنْ أَرْضٍ إِلاَّ وَفِيهَا ارْتَفَعَ ضَجِيجُ أَصْفِيائِكَ، وَمِنْهُمُ الَّذِينَ جَعَلَهُمُ المُشْرِكُونَ أُسارَى فِي مَمْلَكَتِكَ وَمَنَعُوهُمْ عَنِ التَّقَرُّبِ إِلَيْكَ وَالوُرُودِ فِي ساحَهِ عِزِّكَ، وَمِنْهُمْ يا إِلهِي تَقَرَّبُوا إِلَيْكَ وَمُنِعُوا عَنْ لِقائِكَ، وَمِنْهُمْ دَخَلُوا فِي جِوارِكَ طَلَبًا لِلِقائِكَ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَكَ سُبُحاتُ خَلْقِكَ وَظُلْمُ طُغاةِ بَرِيَّتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ هذِهِ ساعَةٌ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou beholdest, O my God, what hath befallen Thy dear ones in Thy days. Thy glory beareth me witness! The voice of the lamentation of Thy chosen ones hath been lifted up throughout Thy realm. Some were ensnared by the infidels in Thy land, and were hindered by them from having near access to Thee and from attaining the court of Thy glory. Others were able to approach Thee, but were kept back from beholding Thy face. Still others were permitted, in their eagerness to look upon Thee, to enter the precincts of Thy court, but they allowed the veils of the imaginations of Thy creatures and the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors among Thy people to come in between them and Thee.

Translation Notes

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَيَّامِكَ،

y-w-m → “Thy days”

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

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “Thy glory beareth me witness”

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

ما

m-ʾ

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

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

أَرْضٍ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “Thy land”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r

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

وَفِيهَا

f-y-y

literal: in it; in them

ارْتَفَعَ

r-f-ʿ → “been lifted up” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

ضَجِيجُ

ḍ-j-j → “voice of the lamentation” Distinctive

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

أَصْفِيائِكَ،

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y

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

جَعَلَهُمُ

j-ʿ-l

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

المُشْرِكُونَ

sh-r-k → “the infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

أُسارَى

ʾ-s-r → “from his chains” Distinctive

literal: captive; captives; captive/prisoner

مَمْلَكَتِكَ

m-l-k → “Thy realm”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَمَنَعُوهُمْ

m-n-ʿ → “were hindered”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “by them from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

التَّقَرُّبِ

q-r-b → “having near access” Distinctive

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

وَالوُرُودِ

w-r-d → “from attaining”

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

ساحَهِ

s-w-ḥ → “of”

literal: court; plaza; courtyard; open space; domain; presence

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

لِقائِكَ،

l-q-y → “beholding Thy face” Distinctive

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

دَخَلُوا

d-kh-l → “enter”

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

جِوارِكَ

j-w-r → “precincts”

literal: to neighbor; to adjoin; to dwell near

طَلَبًا

ṭ-l-b → “in their eagerness” Distinctive

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

وَحَالَ

ḥ-w-l → “come in between” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

بَيْنَهُمْ

b-y-n → “them”

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

سُبُحاتُ

s-b-ḥ → “veils”

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

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَظُلْمُ

ẓ-l-m → “and the wrongs” Distinctive

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

طُغاةِ

ṭ-gh-y → “oppressors”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “among Thy people”

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

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

هذِهِ

h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

ساعَةٌ

s-w-ʿ

literal: hour; moment

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