Prayers and Meditations — §425

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 425 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي تَرَى ما عَجِزَتْ أَلْسُنُ ما سِوَاكَ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِ، وَتَشْهَدُ ما تَكَلْكَلَ عَن بَيانِهِ غَيْرُكَ، بِحَيْثُ تَمَوَّجَتْ بُحُورُ الابْتِلآءِ وَتَهَيَّجَتْ أ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou beholdest what the tongue of no one except Thee can utter, and bearest witness unto things which no mouth can recount. The floods of afflictions are let loose, and the winds of Thy judgment have blown, and from the clouds rain down the darts of tests, and the heavens of Thy decree pour forth the arrows of trial.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

subḥának s-b-ḥ → “praise be to thee” Distinctive

literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise

This form usually rendered as “glorified”, “lauded”, “praised” (181 occurrences)

SE expanded to “Praise be to Thee”

glorified 27% lauded 19% praised 14% glory 12% praise 10% magnified 6% exalted 5% all 3% unto 2% “glory 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §235: laud gleaningsGWB §620: the Glorified kitab-i-iqanKIQ §291: Glorified be prayers-and-meditationsP&M §360: resound tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: my Lord the-hidden-wordsHW §89: from on high epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §122: Gracious gleaningsGWB §597: veils

اللَّهُمَّ

al-lahumm ʾ-l-h → “o lord” Distinctive

literal: God; divine; god

SE usually renders this root as “god”, “divine”, “god’s”

god 67% divine 18% god’s 4% lord 4% divinity 3% holy 1% other 1% mystic 1% heavenly 1% godhead 0%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §102: God gleaningsGWB §204: her God kitab-i-iqanKIQ §212: of God’s prayers-and-meditationsP&M §119: my God the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §18: of the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: Divine gleaningsGWB §148: this God-given

تَرَى

tará r-ʾ-y → “beholdest”

literal: see; to see; see/behold

thou 53% seest 16% beholdest 12% behold 6% wert 2% regard 2% seest?” 2% discover 2% dost 2% art 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §213: see fire-tabletFire §26: seest gleaningsGWB §77: We point out prayers-and-meditationsP&M §832: Thou dost perceive the-hidden-wordsHW §37: and to mirror forth will-and-testamentW&T §5: behold him epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §191: beheld gleaningsGWB §187: may recognize

عَجِزَتْ

ʿajizat ʿ-j-z → “can utter”

literal: powerlessness

can 50% powerless 33% overwhelmed 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §169: capable gleaningsGWB §259: are powerless kitab-i-iqanKIQ §230: miracle prayers-and-meditationsP&M §811: to my powerlessness will-and-testamentW&T §49: overwhelmed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §82: none can produce gleaningsGWB §449: can thwart kitab-i-iqanKIQ §121: wearied

أَلْسُنُ

ʾalsun l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; tongue, language; tongues

tongues 36% tongue 36% languages 14% now 7% language 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §43: your tongue gleaningsGWB §464: mouths kitab-i-iqanKIQ §64: speech prayers-and-meditationsP&M §333: His tongue the-hidden-wordsHW §101: IN epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §10: tongue gleaningsGWB §346: of language kitab-i-iqanKIQ §75: mouth

سِوَاكَ

siwák s-w-y → “except thee”

literal: other than; other-than; besides

except 29% all 15% any 12% aught 10% save 10% thee 10% beside 5% naught 5% besides 2% everything 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: stablished gleaningsGWB §662: Him kitab-i-iqanKIQ §109: besides prayers-and-meditationsP&M §419: not unto Thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §44: full height the-hidden-wordsHW §16: another than Me epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: all else besides Me gleaningsGWB §556: of men

ذِكْرِهِ،

dhikrihi، dh-k-r

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

SE rendered أَلْسُنُ (ʾalsun), سِوَاكَ (siwák), ذِكْرِهِ، (dhikrihi،), وَتَشْهَدُ (watashhad), تَكَلْكَلَ (takalkal) as “the tongue, except Thee, bearest witness, no mouth can recount”

remembrance 25% mention 22% praise 20% mentioned 8% recorded 4% describe 4% remember 4% remembering 4% referred 4% words 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: remember Me gleaningsGWB §663: celebrating His praise kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckoned kitab-i-iqanKIQ §160: above-mentioned prayers-and-meditationsP&M §134: to glorify Thee tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His call tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: proclaimeth the-hidden-wordsHW §44: Make mention of Me

وَتَشْهَدُ

watashhad sh-h-d → “bearest witness”

literal: witness; witnessed

bearest 21% thou 14% proclaim 14% thereby 7% beholdest 7% witnessed 7% witness 7% testifiest 7% beareth 7% acknowledgeth 7%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: I bear witness fire-tabletFire §48: the place gleaningsGWB §115: appeared kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: appeareth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §122: witness.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §250: Thou dost witness tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: dost witness the-hidden-wordsHW §47: a martyr

تَكَلْكَلَ

takalkal k-l-l → “all” Distinctive

literal: all; all, every

This form usually rendered as “mouth” (1 occurrences)

all 60% every 28% whole 3% each 3% whatsoever 2% whatever 1% unto 1% entire 1% one 1% everyone 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: upon all gleaningsGWB §246: the powers kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: everyone kitab-i-iqanKIQ §182: “All things prayers-and-meditationsP&M §476: and all that is therein tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: be the-hidden-wordsHW §13: naught will-and-testamentW&T §58: he

بَيانِهِ

bayánih b-y-n

literal: utterance

SE rendered وَتَشْهَدُ (watashhad), تَكَلْكَلَ (takalkal), بَيانِهِ (bayánih), غَيْرُكَ، (ghayruka،), بِحَيْثُ (biḥayth), تَمَوَّجَتْ (tamawwajat) as “bearest witness, no mouth can recount, are let loose”

utterance 65% bayán 8% words 6% divine 4% speech 4% unfold 4% force 2% recount 2% word 2% sayings 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: between fire-tabletFire §38: words gleaningsGWB §188: unto you kitab-i-ahdAhd §8: among My kitab-i-iqanKIQ §223: by prayers-and-meditationsP&M §402: to suffer patiently in their the-hidden-wordsHW §155: of wisdom will-and-testamentW&T §58: grievous

غَيْرُكَ،

ghayruka، gh-y-r

literal: other; other than

SE rendered تَكَلْكَلَ (takalkal), بَيانِهِ (bayánih), غَيْرُكَ، (ghayruka،), بِحَيْثُ (biḥayth), تَمَوَّجَتْ (tamawwajat), بُحُورُ (buḥúr) as “no mouth can recount, are let loose, The floods”