Prayers and Meditations — §371

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 371 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي هذا طَرْفِي قَدْ كانَ مُنْتَظِرًا بَدائِعَ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَهذِهِ أُذُنِي قَدْ أَرادَتْ إِصْغآءَ نَغَماتِكَ، وَهذا قَلْبِي يَطْلُبُ كَوْثَرَ عِرفانِكَ، إِذًا يا إِلهِي قَدْ قامَتْ أَمَتُكَ تِلْقآءَ مَدْيَنِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَتَدْعُوكَ بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ جَعَلْتَهُ أَعظَمَ أَسْمَائِكَ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَى مَنْ فِي أَرْضِكَ وَسَمائِكَ لِتُرْسِلَ عَلَيْها نَفَحاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ لِتَجْذِبَها بِكُلِّها عَنْ نَفْسِها وَتُقَلِّبَها إِلى المَقَرِّ الَّذِيْ فِيهِ اسْتَضَاءَ وَجْهُكَ وَظَهَرَ سُلْطانُكَ وَاستَقَرَّ عَرْشُكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشآءُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Behold Thou mine eye expectant to gaze on the wonders of Thy mercy, and mine ear longing to hearken unto Thy sweet melodies, and my heart yearning for the living waters of Thy knowledge. Thou seest Thy handmaiden, O my God, standing before the habitation of Thy mercy, and calling upon Thee by Thy name which Thou hast chosen above all other names and set up over all that are in heaven and on earth. Send down upon her the breaths of Thy mercy, that she may be carried away wholly from herself, and be drawn entirely towards the seat which, resplendent with the glory of Thy face, sheddeth afar the radiance of Thy sovereignty, and is established as Thy throne. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Magnified be” Distinctive

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

اللَّهُمَّ

ʾ-l-h → “O Lord” Distinctive

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

طَرْفِي

ṭ-r-f → “mine eye”

literal: extremity; end; edge; outskirt; periphery

قَدْ

q-d

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

كانَ

k-w-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

مُنْتَظِرًا

n-ẓ-r → “expectant”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بَدائِعَ

b-d-ʿ → “wonders”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

رَحْمَتِكَ،

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أُذُنِي

ʾ-dh-n → “ears” Distinctive

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

أَرادَتْ

r-y-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

إِصْغآءَ

ṣ-gh-w → “to hearken”

literal: to listen, hear; to give ear

نَغَماتِكَ،

n-gh-m → “Thy sweet melodies” Distinctive

literal: melody; tone; note

قَلْبِي

q-l-b → “my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

يَطْلُبُ

ṭ-l-b → “yearning” Distinctive

literal: seeker, one who seeks; those who seek

كَوْثَرَ

k-w-th-r → “living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

عِرفانِكَ،

ʿ-r-f → “Thy knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

قامَتْ

q-w-m → “standing” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

أَمَتُكَ

ʾ-m-y → “Thy handmaiden”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

تِلْقآءَ

l-q-y → “before”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

مَدْيَنِ

m-d-n → “habitation” Distinctive

literal: city; cities; civilization

وَتَدْعُوكَ

d-ʿ-w → “summoned” Distinctive

literal: call; invitation; claim

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy name”

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

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

جَعَلْتَهُ

j-ʿ-l → “hast chosen” Distinctive

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

أَعظَمَ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وَمُهَيْمِنًا

h-m-n → “Help in Peril”

literal: Guardian; Preserver; Protector; Overseer

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “over” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مَنْ

m-n → “from”

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

فِي

f-y → “of” Distinctive

literal: alas; woe; oh

أَرْضِكَ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “on earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

لِتُرْسِلَ

r-s-l → “Send down”

literal: messenger; send; messengers

عَلَيْها

ʿ-l-y → “upon her”

literal: upon; on; exalted

نَفَحاتِ

n-f-ḥ → “breaths” Distinctive

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

لِتَجْذِبَها

j-dh-b → “drawn”

literal: to draw, attract, pull; to be enraptured

بِكُلِّها

k-l-l → “wholly” Distinctive

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

نَفْسِها

n-f-s → “herself” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards the seat”

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

المَقَرِّ

q-r-r → “acknowledged” Distinctive

literal: matter; affair; thing

اسْتَضَاءَ

ḍ-w-ʾ → “shineth”

literal: evening; night

وَجْهُكَ

w-j-h → “Thy face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

وَظَهَرَ

ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

سُلْطانُكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

عَرْشُكَ

ʿ-r-sh → “Thy throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

المُقتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “Potent art” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَشآءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thou willest”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

لا

l-ʾ → “No”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: end; hereafter; other

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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