Prayers and Meditations — §412

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 412 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا مَنْ فِي قَبْضَتِكَ زِمَامُ أَفْئِدَةِ العارِفِينَ وَفِي يَمِينِكَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، تَفْعَلُ ما تَشآءُ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَتَحْكُمُ ما تُرِيدُ بِإِرادَتِكَ، كُلُّ ذِيْ مَشِيَّةٍ مَعْدُومٌ عِنْدَ ظُهُوراتِ مَشيَّتِكَ، وَكُلُّ ذِي إِرادَةٍ مَفْقُودٌ لَدَى شُئُوناتِ إِرادَتِكَ، أَنْتَ الَّذِيْ بِكَلِمَتِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Magnified be Thy name, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the souls of all them that have recognized Thee, and in Whose right hand are the destinies of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth! Thou doest, through the power of Thy might, what Thou willest, and ordainest, by an act of Thy volition, what Thou pleasest. The will of the most resolute of men is as nothing when compared with the compelling evidences of Thy will, and the determination of the most inflexible among Thy creatures is dissipated before the manifold revelations of Thy purpose.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Magnified be Thy name” Distinctive

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَنْ

m-n → “from”

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

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: faithfulness; loyalty; fulfillment; fidelity; to be faithful; faithful, loyal

قَبْضَتِكَ

q-b-ḍ → “Whose grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

زِمَامُ

z-m-m → “reins”

literal: reins; bridle; control; governance

أَفْئِدَةِ

f-ʾ-d → “souls”

literal: heart, innermost soul, mind; heart; inner consciousness; mind; one who benefits; advantageous

العارِفِينَ

ʿ-r-f → “recognized Thee” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

يَمِينِكَ

y-m-n → “Whose right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

السَّمَواتِ

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالأَرَضِينَ،

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

تَفْعَلُ

f-ʿ-l → “Thou doest”

literal: do; deed; do/act

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

تَشآءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thou willest”

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

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَتَحْكُمُ

ḥ-k-m → “ordainest”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

تُرِيدُ

r-y-d → “Thou pleasest”

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “will” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

ذِيْ

dh-w-y → “and” Distinctive

literal: possessor; possessor of; possessor/owner

مَعْدُومٌ

ʿ-d-m → “is as nothing” Distinctive

literal: nonexistent; void; nullified

عِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “when compared with” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

ظُهُوراتِ

ẓ-h-r → “compelling evidences” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مَفْقُودٌ

f-q-d → “forgotten”

literal: to lose; to miss; lost; missing

لَدَى

l-d-y → “before”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

شُئُوناتِ

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise” Distinctive

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

إِرادَتِكَ،

r-w-d → “of Thy purpose” Distinctive

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

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

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

بِكَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses