Prayers and Meditations — §39

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 39 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ِ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا مُؤْنِسَ البَهآءِ بِاسْمِكَ الأَبْهَى بِأَنْ تَحْفَظَ هَؤُلٓاءِ فِيْ ظِلِّ جَناحِ رَحْمَتِكَ الكُبْرَى لِئَلاَّ يَرِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سِهامُ الإِشاراتِ مِنْ أَشْقِياءِ خَلْقِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآياتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ لا يَمْنَعُ قُدْرَتَكَ مَنْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كُلِّها وَلا يَرُدُّ مَشِيَّتَكَ مَنْ فِيْ مَلَكُوتِ الأَسْمآءِ، فَأَظْهِرْ فِيْ الأَرْضِ سَلْطَنَتَكَ وَاقْتِدارَكَ وَعَلِّمْ أَحِبَّتَكَ ما يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ فِيْ أَيَّامِكَ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the beloved Companion of Bahá, by Thy name, the All-Glorious, to keep safe these Thy servants under the shadow of the wings of Thine all-encompassing mercy, that the darts of the evil suggestions of the wicked doers among Thy creatures, who have disbelieved in Thy signs, may be kept back from them. No one on earth, O my Lord, can withstand Thy power, and none in all the kingdom of Thy names is able to frustrate Thy purpose. Show forth, then, the power of Thy sovereignty and of Thy dominion, and teach Thy loved ones what beseemeth them in Thy days.

Translation Notes

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

مُؤْنِسَ

ʾ-n-s → “beloved Companion”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

البَهآءِ

b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy name”

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

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَحْفَظَ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “keep safe” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

هَؤُلٓاءِ

h-ʾ-l → “these”

literal: these

فِيْ

f-y → “under” Distinctive

literal: in; in-it; in it

ظِلِّ

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

جَناحِ

j-n-ḥ → “wings”

literal: wing; side; shelter; protection

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thine all-encompassing mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

الكُبْرَى

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

لِئَلاَّ

l-y-l → “night”

literal: night; darkness

يَرِدَ

w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: hand; power; strength; (plural) hands; agents; helpers; to assist, to support, to aid, to strengthen

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

سِهامُ

s-h-m → “darts”

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

الإِشاراتِ

sh-y-r → “evil suggestions” Distinctive

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

أَشْقِياءِ

sh-q-y → “wicked doers”

literal: wretched ones; the miserable; the wicked

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

الَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

كَفَرُوا

k-f-r → “disbelieved”

literal: to disbelieve, reject; unbelief, ingratitude; to deny, to disbelieve, to reject

بِآياتِكَ،

ʾ-y-y → “in Thy signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَمْنَعُ

m-n-ʿ → “withstand” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

قُدْرَتَكَ

q-d-r → “Thy power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأَرْضِ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

كُلِّها

k-l-l

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

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

مَشِيَّتَكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thy purpose” Distinctive

literal: thing; something

مَلَكُوتِ

m-l-k → “kingdom”

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

فَأَظْهِرْ

ẓ-h-r → “Show forth” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

سَلْطَنَتَكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَعَلِّمْ

ʿ-l-m → “teach” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

أَحِبَّتَكَ

ḥ-b-b → “Thy loved ones”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يَنْبَغِي

n-b-gh → “beseemeth”

literal: it is proper; it is fitting; it is necessary; it behooves

لَهُمْ

l-h-m → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: inspiration; divine inspiration; revelation

أَيَّامِكَ،

y-w-m → “Thy days”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶