Prayers and Meditations — §378

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 378 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَأَرَى يا إِلهِي بِأَنَّ المِصْبَاحَ إِذا أَحَاطَتْهُ الأَرْياحُ يَطْفَأُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، لَمْ أَدْرِ يا مَحْبُوبَ العالَمِينَ بِأَيِّ قُدْرَةٍ حَفِظْتَهُ فِي سِنِينٍ مَعْدُوداتٍ مِنْ أَرياحِ الَّتِيْ تَمُرُّ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْيانِ مِنْ شَطْرِ مَظاهِرِ الطُّغْيَانِ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I, likewise, recognize, O my God, that every lamp, when exposed to the fury of the winds, must cease from burning. As to Thy Lamp, however, O Beloved of the worlds, I cannot think what power except Thy power could have kept it safe for so many years from the tempests that have continually been directed upon it by the rebellious among Thy creatures.

Translation Notes

وَأَرَى

waʾará r-ʾ-y → “i, likewise, recognize” Distinctive

literal: see; to see; mirror

This form usually rendered as “discover”, “may”, “behold” (17 occurrences)

SE expanded to “I, likewise, recognize”

discover 15% may 15% behold 15% appeareth 8% revealeth 8% find 8% perceive 8% which 8% recognize 8% regard 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §68: wouldst regard fire-tabletFire §26: seest gleaningsGWB §115: implore kitab-i-iqanKIQ §237: “What thinkest prayers-and-meditationsP&M §725: I am well aware the-hidden-wordsHW §146: hypocrisy will-and-testamentW&T §35: saw me epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: Wert thou to look

إِلهِي

ʾilhí ʾ-l-h → “my god”

literal: god; divine; o god

god 82% divine 10% lord 3% god’s 2% holy 1% heavenly 1% god’s 0% sacred 0% divinely 0% thou 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §86: Lord fire-tabletFire §41: after God gleaningsGWB §549: divinely appointed kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: the divine Testator kitab-i-iqanKIQ §142: God!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §718: Thou my God tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §50: By the Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §154: heaven

المِصْبَاحَ

al-miṣbáḥ ṣ-b-ḥ → “every lamp”

literal: lamp

lamp 64% light 18% source 9% every 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §63: the dawn fire-tabletFire §22: Light gleaningsGWB §680: through the morning-light kitab-i-iqanKIQ §85: resplendent morn prayers-and-meditationsP&M §797: Every morning I waken the-hidden-wordsHW §12: My light epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §212: dawn fire-tabletFire §27: lamps

أَحَاطَتْهُ

ʾaḥáṭath ḥ-y-ṭ → “embraceth” Distinctive

literal: encompass; encompassing; encompassed

This form usually rendered as “when”, “hath” (2 occurrences)

when 50% hath 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: embraceth all things gleaningsGWB §117: all-encompassing prayers-and-meditationsP&M §358: embraceth epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §208: knoweth it gleaningsGWB §40: encompass prayers-and-meditationsP&M §170: compassed them on every epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §97: can comprehend gleaningsGWB §381: universal

الأَرْياحُ

ar-ryáḥ r-y-ḥ → “the fury of the winds”

literal: winds; wind

SE expanded to “the fury of the winds”

winds 55% tempests 14% gales 9% wind 5% breeze 5% tempestuous 5% gentle 5% breezes 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §22: fellowship fire-tabletFire §34: winds gleaningsGWB §666: and concord kitab-i-iqanKIQ §278: odours prayers-and-meditationsP&M §796: the fragrances epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §63: gales gleaningsGWB §634: the breeze kitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: abide secure

يَطْفَأُ

yaṭfaʾ ṭ-f-ʾ → “put” Distinctive

literal: extinguish; extinguishing; to extinguish

This form usually rendered as “must” (1 occurrences)

put 52% extinguish 10% putting 5% quench 5% quenched 5% unquenchable 5% inextinguishable 5% have 5% must 5% stayed 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: put out gleaningsGWB §600: quench kitab-i-iqanKIQ §152: unquenchable prayers-and-meditationsP&M §185: extinguish not will-and-testamentW&T §47: stayed gleaningsGWB §458: putting out kitab-i-iqanKIQ §226: inextinguishable prayers-and-meditationsP&M §378: must cease from burning

نَفْسِهِ،

nafsihi، n-f-s → “that”

literal: self; soul; souls

SE rendered الأَرْياحُ (ar-ryáḥ), يَطْفَأُ (yaṭfaʾ), نَفْسِهِ، (nafsihi،), أَدْرِ (ʾadr), مَحْبُوبَ (maḥbúb) as “the fury of the winds, must cease from burning, that, cannot think, Beloved”

own 19% self 19% soul 17% himself 16% evil 8% corrupt 5% one 5% souls 4% breath 4% man 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: any one gleaningsGWB §677: vain kitab-i-iqanKIQ §278: To everyone prayers-and-meditationsP&M §405: to Thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: within thyself the-hidden-wordsHW §71: for My Self will-and-testamentW&T §27: the people epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: Thy Self

أَدْرِ

ʾadr d-r-y → “cannot think”

literal: know

know 83% cannot 11% how 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §8: I know not gleaningsGWB §287: Tear asunder prayers-and-meditationsP&M §646: out of the ocean the-hidden-wordsHW §83: rise to epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: know not gleaningsGWB §563: ocean prayers-and-meditationsP&M §463: I know epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: knowing not

مَحْبُوبَ

maḥbúb ḥ-b-b → “beloved”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

beloved 44% well-beloved 26% best-beloved 12% loved 5% one 3% object 3% prized 2% thou 2% pleasing 1% love 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §82: with love for Me fire-tabletFire §7: of Thy love gleaningsGWB §17: for His sake kitab-i-iqanKIQ §252: what devotion prayers-and-meditationsP&M §77: my delight tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved One the-hidden-wordsHW §5: do thou love Me will-and-testamentW&T §3: His loved ones)

العالَمِينَ

al-ʿálamín ʿ-l-m → “of the worlds”

literal: world; worlds

SE expanded to “of the worlds”

worlds 52% all 31% world 6% whole 3% entire 2% earth 2% men 2% creatures 1% creation 1% people 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §4: all that dwell on earth fire-tabletFire §49: all the worlds gleaningsGWB §123: made indubitably clear kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: recognized kitab-i-iqanKIQ §186: of Science prayers-and-meditationsP&M §638: beholdest tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: which we have taught

قُدْرَةٍ

qudrahin q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; powerful

hath 21% ordain 18% power 16% ordained 11% how 7% do 7% might 6% decreed 5% had 4% according 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §100: My might fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §382: His power kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §178: of His providence prayers-and-meditationsP&M §45: could be so extended tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: are not the-hidden-wordsHW §149: value

حَفِظْتَهُ

ḥafiẓtah ḥ-f-ẓ → “protect” Distinctive

literal: protection; protect

This form usually rendered as “thou”, “sought”, “could” (5 occurrences)

thou 40% sought 20% could 20% didst 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: protect me gleaningsGWB §684: Guard it kitab-i-ahdAhd §5: safeguarding kitab-i-iqanKIQ §249: “Guarded prayers-and-meditationsP&M §297: and may shield them tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: Learn well tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §22: guardian the-hidden-wordsHW §112: sanctuary

سِنِينٍ

sinínin s-n-n → “years”

literal: year

years 67% number 17% days 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §180: a number of years gleaningsGWB §124: method kitab-i-iqanKIQ §208: darts will-and-testamentW&T §49: arrows epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §142: Each year gleaningsGWB §151: days kitab-i-iqanKIQ §258: age epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: years

مَعْدُوداتٍ

maʿdúdátin ʿ-d-d

literal: numbered; number

SE rendered حَفِظْتَهُ (ḥafiẓtah), سِنِينٍ (sinínin), مَعْدُوداتٍ (maʿdúdátin), أَرياحِ (ʾaríáḥ), تَمُرُّ (tamurr) as “kept it safe, years, the tempests, have continually been directed”

number 50% few 50%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §266: counteth gleaningsGWB §99: of number kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: counteth them kitab-i-iqanKIQ §161: number prayers-and-meditationsP&M §428: some of whom will-and-testamentW&T §7: many epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §177: few gleaningsGWB §330: numbers

أَرياحِ

ʾaríáḥ r-w-ḥ → “tempests” Distinctive

literal: spirit; spiritual; soul

This form usually rendered as “winds”, “gentle”, “breezes” (33 occurrences)

winds 53% gentle 13% breezes 6% wind 6% tempests 6% tempest 3% breath 3% gales 3% nothing 3% fragrances 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §246: Him Who is the Spirit fire-tabletFire §49: fragrance gleaningsGWB §167: His quickening Spirit kitab-i-ahdAhd §5: happiness kitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: delight prayers-and-meditationsP&M §493: sweet smell tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §25: of heaven the-hidden-wordsHW §34: thou mayest live in peace

تَمُرُّ

tamurr m-r-r → “have continually been directed” Distinctive

literal: pass; passed

This form usually rendered as “passeth”, “flee”, “blow” (6 occurrences)

SE expanded to “have continually been directed”

passeth 20% flee 20% blow 20% directed 20% which 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §138: once gleaningsGWB §439: blowing kitab-i-iqanKIQ §47: bitterness prayers-and-meditationsP&M §36: vanisheth the-hidden-wordsHW §105: wafted over thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §151: again gleaningsGWB §212: hath gone forth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §179: battles

الأَحْيانِ

al-ʾaḥyán ḥ-y-n

literal: time; time/moment; moment

SE rendered تَمُرُّ (tamurr), الأَحْيانِ (al-ʾaḥyán), شَطْرِ (shaṭr), مَظاهِرِ (maẓáhir) as “have continually been directed, the rebellious, creatures”