Prayers and Meditations — §384

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 384 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ْ بَرِيَّتِكَ وَاعْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ الأُدَبآءُ مِنْ عِبادِكَ، وَبِذلِكَ اشْتَعَلَتْ نارُ الظُّلْمِ فِي مَمْلَكَتِكَ إِلى أَنْ قَامَ المُلُوكُ عَلَى إِطْفآءِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No sooner had a word gone forth from His lips, however, than the divines among Thy people turned back from Him, and the learned among Thy servants caviled at His signs. Thereby the fire of oppression was kindled in Thy land, until the kings themselves rose up to put out Thy light, O Thou Who art the King of kings!

Translation Notes

بَرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ → “people”

literal: high; exalted; upper

وَاعْتَرَضَ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned back” Distinctive

literal: objection, protest, denial; cavil

عَلَيْهِ

ʿ-l-y → “from Him” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأُدَبآءُ

ʾ-d-b → “customs” Distinctive

literal: learned person; man of letters; refined one

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

عِبادِكَ،

ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَبِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thereby”

literal: that; this; it; by that

اشْتَعَلَتْ

sh-ʿ-l → “kindled”

literal: to kindle, burn, be inflamed; to blaze

نارُ

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

الظُّلْمِ

ẓ-l-m → “oppression”

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

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

مَمْلَكَتِكَ

m-l-k → “land”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “until the”

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

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

قَامَ

q-w-m → “rose up”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

إِطْفآءِ

ṭ-f-ʾ → “put out”

literal: states; conditions; stages; modes; phases; manner

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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160 ¶

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59 ¶