Prayers and Meditations — §397

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 397 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَوْ تَهَبُ مِثْلَ السَّمَواتِ وَالارْضِ لأَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ لا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ مَلَكُوتِكَ مِقْدارُ ذَرَّةٍ، أَنْتَ الأَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ تُدْعى بِالعَظِيمِ لأَنَّهُ اسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمائِكَ قَدْ خُلِقَ بِإِرادَةٍ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، لا إِلهَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Wert Thou to bestow on one of Thy creatures what would equal the kingdoms of earth and heaven, it would still not diminish by even as much as an atom the immensity of Thy dominion. Far greater art Thou than the Great One men are wont to call Thee, for such a title is but one of Thy names all of which were created by a mere indication of Thy will.

Translation Notes

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

تَهَبُ

h-b-b → “wafted”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

مِثْلَ

m-th-l → “equal” Distinctive

literal: like; example; parable; similitude

السَّمَواتِ

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالارْضِ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

لأَحَدٍ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

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

مِنْ

m-n → “of Thy”

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

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

لا

l-ʾ → “not”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَنْقُصُ

n-q-ṣ → “imperfect” Distinctive

literal: deficient; deficiency; decrease

مَلَكُوتِكَ

m-l-k → “Kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

مِقْدارُ

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

ذَرَّةٍ،

dh-r-r → “atom”

literal: atom; particle; mote

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

الأَعْظَمُ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “greater”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُدْعى

w-d-ʿ → “entrusted”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

لأَنَّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: I, verily; behold I

قَدْ

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

بِإِرادَةٍ

r-w-d → “desire”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عِنْدِكَ،

ʿ-n-d → “possess”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶