Prayers and Meditations — §369

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 369 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َّ لِمَسِّ البَلايا فِي سَبِيلِكَ، اَسْئَلُكَ يا مَنْ بِنِدائِكَ طارَتْ أَفْئِدَةُ المُقَرَّبِينَ بِأَنْ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَى أَحِبَّتِكَ ما يَجْعَلُهُمْ غَنِيًّا عَمَّا سِواكَ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْهُمْ عَلَى شَأْنٍ يَقُومُنَّ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ وَيُنادِينَّكَ بَيْنَ سَمائِكَ وَأَرْضِكَ بِحَيْثُ لا يَمْنَعُهُمْ ظُلْمُ الفَراعِنَةِ مِنْ عِبادِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O Thou by Whose summons the hearts of all them who were nigh unto Thee have soared into the atmosphere of Thy presence, to send down upon Thy loved ones what will enable them to dispense with all else except Thee. Endue them, then, with such constancy that they will arise to proclaim Thy Cause, and will call on Thy name, before all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, in such wise that the Pharaonic cruelties inflicted by the oppressors among Thy servants will not succeed in keeping them back from Thee.

Translation Notes

لِمَسِّ

m-s-s

literal: to touch; sense of touch

البَلايا

b-l-w

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

فِي

f-y → “in keeping them back from Thee”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ،

s-b-l

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

اَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَنْ

m-n → “from”

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

بِنِدائِكَ

n-d-y → “voice”

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

طارَتْ

ṭ-y-r → “have soared”

literal: movement; motion; trembling

أَفْئِدَةُ

f-ʾ-d → “hearts”

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

المُقَرَّبِينَ

q-r-b → “nigh” Distinctive

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُنَزِّلَ

n-z-l

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “upon Thy” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَحِبَّتِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “loved ones”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَجْعَلُهُمْ

j-ʿ-l → “enable them” Distinctive

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

غَنِيًّا

gh-n-y

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

سِواكَ،

s-w-y → “all else except Thee”

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

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اسْتَقِمْهُمْ

q-w-m → “with such constancy”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

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

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

وَيُنادِينَّكَ

n-d-w → “will call on Thy name”

literal: call; caller; call, voice

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “before all that are in” Distinctive

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

سَمائِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy heaven”

literal: name; heaven; names