Prayers and Meditations — §423

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 423 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

مَشْغُولَةٌ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ شِدَّةِ البَلايا الَّتِيْ أَحَاطَتْهُمْ مِنْ قَضائِكَ، وَلِسَانُ البَهآءِ مَشْغُولٌ بِذِكْرِ أَصْفِيائِكَ وَقَلْبُ البَهآءِ ذاكِرٌ لأَحِبَّائِكَ وَأَرِقَّائِكَ، فَيا إِلهِي لا تَنْظُرْ إِلَيَّ وَعَلَى

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All Thy servants, O my God, are occupied with their own selves, so great have been the troubles which, as decreed by Thee, have encompassed them on every side. My tongue, however, is busied in extolling Thy chosen ones, and my heart in remembering them that are dear to Thee and are wholly subject to Thy will.

Translation Notes

مَشْغُولَةٌ

sh-gh-l → “are occupied”

literal: to occupy; to engage; to busy; occupation

بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

n-f-s → “their own selves”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

شِدَّةِ

sh-d → “was”

literal: to become; to be

البَلايا

b-l-w

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

أَحَاطَتْهُمْ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “have encompassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

قَضائِكَ،

q-ḍ-y

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

وَلِسَانُ

l-s-n → “My tongue”

literal: tongue; language

البَهآءِ

b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

بِذِكْرِ

dh-k-r → “in extolling” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

أَصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

وَقَلْبُ

q-l-b → “my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

لأَحِبَّائِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “that are dear to Thee” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

وَأَرِقَّائِكَ،

r-q-q

literal: slave; subtle things, delicate things; fine

فَيا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h

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

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَنْظُرْ

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلَيَّ

ʾ-l-y

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

وَعَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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17 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶