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Prayers and Meditations — §391

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 391 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي لَوْلا البَلايا فِي سَبِيلِكَ مِنْ أَيْنَ تَظْهَرُ مَقاماتُ عاشِقِيكَ، وَلَوْلا الرَّزَايا فِي حُبِّكَ بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تُبَيَّنُ شُئُونُ مُشْتاقِيكَ، وَعِزَّتِكَ أَنِيسُ مُحِبِّيكَ دُمُوعُ عُيُونِهِمْ وَمُؤْنِسُ مُرِيدِيكَ زَفَراتُ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَغِذَاءُ قاصِدِيكَ قَطَعاتُ أَكْبادِهِمْ، وَما أَلَذَّ سَمَّ الرَّدى فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَما أَعَزَّ سَهْمَ الأَعْدآءِ لإِعْلآءِ كَلِمَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth me witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Glory” Distinctive

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

يا
y-ʾ → “O my”

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

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لَوْلا
w-l-y → “But for” Distinctive

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

البَلايا
b-l-w → “tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity; trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity; yes; indeed; verily

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

مِنْ
m-n → “from”

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

أَيْنَ
ʾ-y-n

literal: this; these

تَظْهَرُ
ẓ-h-r → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مَقاماتُ
q-w-m → “station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

عاشِقِيكَ،
ʿ-sh-q → “true lovers”

literal: love, passion, ardor

وَلَوْلا
l-w-l → “rifle”

literal: tube; if-not; not-for-you

الرَّزَايا
r-z-y → “the trials”

literal: calamity; disaster; affliction; misfortune

حُبِّكَ
ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

بِأَيِّ
ʾ-y-y → “how” Distinctive

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

شَيْءٍ
sh-y-ʾ

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

تُبَيَّنُ
b-y-n → “revealed”

literal: between; utterance; clear

شُئُونُ
sh-ʾ-n

literal: affairs; affair; matter

مُشْتاقِيكَ،
sh-w-q → “longing” Distinctive

literal: longing; yearning; desirous

وَعِزَّتِكَ
ʿ-z-z → “Thy might”

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

أَنِيسُ
ʾ-n-s → “companions”

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

دُمُوعُ
d-m-ʿ → “tears”

literal: tears

عُيُونِهِمْ
ʿ-y-n

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

مُرِيدِيكَ
r-y-d → “as seek”

literal: want; desire; will

زَفَراتُ
z-f-r → “sighs”

literal: sigh; sob; lamentation

قُلُوبِهِمْ
q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

وَغِذَاءُ
gh-dh-w → “food”

literal: food; nourishment; sustenance

قاصِدِيكَ
q-ṣ-d → “purpose” Distinctive

literal: intention; purpose; aim; goal; to seek; to direct oneself

قَطَعاتُ
q-ṭ-ʿ → “detachment” Distinctive

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

أَكْبادِهِمْ،
k-b-d

literal: liver; soul; essence

وَما
m-ʾ

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

أَلَذَّ
l-dh-dh

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

سَمَّ
s-m-m

literal: name; title; designation

الرَّدى
r-d-y

literal: to will; to wish; to intend

سَهْمَ
s-h-m

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

الأَعْدآءِ
ʿ-d-w

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

لإِعْلآءِ
ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كَلِمَ
k-l-m

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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