Prayers and Meditations — §396

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 396 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

عَمَّا سِواكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ لَمَّا عَرَّفْتَها عُرْفَكَ لا تَمْنَعْها بِجُودِكَ، وَلَمَّا دَعَوْتَها إِلى نَفْسِكَ لا تَطْرُدْها بِكَرَمِكَ، فَارْزُقْها ما لا يُعَادِلُهُ ما فِي أَرْضِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْكَرِيمُ ذُو الفَضْلِ العَظِيمِ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Now that Thou hast revealed unto her the knowledge of Thee, O my Lord, deny her not, by Thy bounty, Thy grace; and now that Thou hast called her unto Thyself, drive her not away from Thee, through Thy favor. Supply her, then, with that which excelleth all that can be found on Thine earth. Thou art, verily, the Most Bountiful, Whose grace is immense.

Translation Notes

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

سِواكَ،

s-w-y

literal: other than; besides; except; equal; alike

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

عَرَّفْتَها

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَمْنَعْها

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

بِجُودِكَ،

j-w-d → “by Thy bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وَلَمَّا

l-m-ʾ → “When”

literal: did not; has not (negative particle with past tense)

دَعَوْتَها

d-ʿ-w → “Thou hast called her”

literal: call; invitation; claim

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

نَفْسِكَ

n-f-s

literal: soul; self; person; essence

تَطْرُدْها

ṭ-r-d → “Cast me” Distinctive

literal: expel; drive away; expelled

بِكَرَمِكَ،

k-r-m → “through Thy favor” Distinctive

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

فَارْزُقْها

r-z-q → “Supply her, then”

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُعَادِلُهُ

ʿ-d-l → “excelleth”

literal: justice; equity

فِي

f-y → “on Thine”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَرْضِكَ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “verily”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

ذُو

dh-w → “girded with”

literal: possessor of; one having; those having

الفَضْلِ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

العَظِيمِ،

ʿ-ẓ-m → “is immense” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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