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Prayers and Meditations — §381

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 381 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

رِدْ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لَمْ أَكنْ مَمْنُوعًا عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ وَلَوْ أَحَاطَتْنِي البَلايا مِنْ كُلِّ الأَشْطَارِ كُلُّ أَعْضَائِيْ وَجَوارِحِيْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُقْطَعَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَرِضَائِكَ وَيُلْقَى عَلَى التُّرابِ أَمامَ عَيْنَيْكَ يا لَيْتَ عِبادَكَ ذاقُوا ما ذُقْتُ مِنْ حَلاوَةِ حُبِّكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thy glory beareth me witness! Nothing whatsoever can withhold me from remembering Thee, though all the tribulations of the earth were to assault me from every direction. All the limbs and members of my body proclaim their readiness to be torn asunder in Thy path and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and they yearn to be scattered in the dust before Thee. O would that they who serve Thee could taste what I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy love!

Translation Notes

رِدْ
r-d-d

literal: rejected; repudiated

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “in” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَحَدٍ
ʾ-ḥ-d

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

مِنْ
m-n → “of the earth were to”

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

أَهْلِ
ʾ-h-l

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

مَمْلَكَتِكَ،
m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

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

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

لَمْ
l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

أَكنْ
k-w-n

literal: to be; existence

مَمْنُوعًا
m-n-ʿ → “Nothing whatsoever can withhold” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذِكْرِكَ
dh-k-r → “remembering Thee” Distinctive

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

وَلَوْ
l-w → “If”

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

أَحَاطَتْنِي
ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed”

literal: to surround, encompass, encircle, beset

البَلايا
b-l-w → “tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

كُلِّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

الأَشْطَارِ
sh-ṭ-r → “direction”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

أَعْضَائِيْ
ʿ-ḍ-w → “limbs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; testimony; token

وَجَوارِحِيْ
j-r-ḥ → “members”

literal: wounded; injured

يُرِيدُ
r-y-d → “desire”

literal: will; intention; to will; to intend; to wish

أَنْ
ʾ-n → “to be” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يُقْطَعَ
q-ṭ-ʿ → “torn asunder”

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

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَرِضَائِكَ
r-ḍ-y → “Thy pleasure”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

وَيُلْقَى
l-q-y → “Presence” Distinctive

literal: meeting; cast; meeting, encounter

التُّرابِ
t-r-b → “dust”

literal: dust; earth; soil

أَمامَ
ʾ-m-m → “before”

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

عَيْنَيْكَ
ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; eyes; appointed

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

لَيْتَ
l-y-t → “would”

literal: would that; oh that; expressing a wish

عِبادَكَ
ʿ-b-d → “they who serve Thee” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

ذاقُوا
dh-w-q → “tasted”

literal: establishment; setting up; standing firm

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

حَلاوَةِ
ḥ-l-w → “sweetness”

literal: sweetest; most sweet; most pleasant

حُبِّكَ،
ḥ-b-b → “Thy love”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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