Prayers and Meditations — §399

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 399 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا إِلهِي يَحْتَرِقُ قَلبُ المُشْتاقِ مِنْ نَارِ الاشْتِياقِ، وَتَبْكِي عُيُونُ العُشَّاقِ مِنْ سَطْوَةِ الفِراقِ، وَارْتَفَعَ ضَجِيجُ الآمِلِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ الآفاقِ، إِنَّكَ يا إِلهِي حَفَظْتَهُمْ بِسُلْطَانِ قُدْرَتِكَ بَيْنَ الضِّدَّيْنِ، لَوْلا احْتِراقُ أَكْبَادِهِمْ وَزَفَراتُ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَيَغْر

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The hearts that yearn after Thee, O my God, are burnt up with the fire of their longing for Thee, and the eyes of them that love Thee weep sore by reason of their crushing separation from Thy court, and the voice of the lamentation of such as have set their hopes on Thee hath gone forth throughout Thy dominions.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

يَحْتَرِقُ

ḥ-r-q → “consumed”

literal: to burn; to be consumed by fire; burning

قَلبُ

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

المُشْتاقِ

sh-w-q → “that yearn after Thee”

literal: yearning; desirous; longing

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

نَارِ

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

وَتَبْكِي

b-k-y → “weep”

literal: to weep; to cry; to lament

عُيُونُ

ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

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

العُشَّاقِ

ʿ-sh-q → “them that love” Distinctive

literal: love, passion, ardor

سَطْوَةِ

s-ṭ-w → “dominion”

literal: might; force; severity; oppression; tyranny

الفِراقِ،

f-r-q → “separation”

literal: faction; sect; group; company

وَارْتَفَعَ

r-f-ʿ → “hath gone forth” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

ضَجِيجُ

ḍ-j-j → “voice” Distinctive

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

الآمِلِينَ

ʾ-m-l → “such as have set their hopes on Thee” Distinctive

literal: hope; hoping; contemplation

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “Thy” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

الآفاقِ،

ʾ-f-q → “horizon” Distinctive

literal: horizon, direction, region; horizon; sun

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

حَفَظْتَهُمْ

ḥ-f-ẓ

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

بِسُلْطَانِ

s-l-ṭ

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

قُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بَيْنَ

b-y-n

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

الضِّدَّيْنِ،

ḍ-d-d

literal: opposite; opposite, contrary, conflicting; opposite/contrary

لَوْلا

w-l-y

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

أَكْبَادِهِمْ

k-b-d

literal: liver; soul; essence

وَزَفَراتُ

z-f-r

literal: sigh; sob; lamentation

لَيَغْر

gh-r-q

literal: drowned; immersion; drown

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