Prayers and Meditations — §430
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 430 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
إِنِّي بِنَفْسِي أَقُولُ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْيَانِ يا لَيْتَ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْكَ فِي يَوْمٍ قَبْلَ هذا، وَلَكنْ لَمَّا أَسْمَعُ ضَجِيجَ المُخْلِصِينَ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ وَالمُقَرَّبِينَ مِنْ عِبادِكَ الَّذِينَ ما اتَّخَذُوا لأنْفُسِهِمْ وَلِيًّا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَلا مَلْجَأً إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، ثُمَّ اخْتارُوا فِي سَبِيلِكَ لأَنْفُسِهِمْ ما لا اخْتَارَهُ أَحَدٌ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِ مَظَاهِرِ عِزِّ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ وَمَطَالِعِ قُدْسِ رَبُوبِيَّتِكَ، لِذا يَحْزَنُ قَلْبِي وَيُكَدَّرُ فُؤَادِيْ وَأُنادِيْكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ الَّتِيْ أَحَاطَتْ كُلَّ الوُجُودِ مِنَ الغَيْبِ وَالشُّهُودِ، بِأَنْ تَحْفَظَهُمْ عَنْ كُلِّ ما يَكْرَهُ رِضَائُكَ وَهذا لا لأَنْفُسِهِمْ بَلْ لِيَبْقى بِهِمْ اسْمُكَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ وَذِكْرُكَ فِي بِلادِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ يا إِلهِي بِأَنَّ كُلَّ
Shoghi Effendi Translation
By Thy might, O Well-Beloved of Bahá and His heart’s Desire! I myself cry out, under all conditions, unto Thee saying: “Would I had, ere this day, drawn nigh unto Thee!” When I hear, however, the sighs of such of Thy people as are wholly devoted to Thee, and those of Thy servants as enjoy near access to Thy court, who have taken no other friend than Thee, and sought no refuge except Thee, and have chosen for themselves, in Thy path, what no man hath chosen in the days of the Manifestations of Thy transcendent unity and the Daysprings of Thy most holy sovereignty, then my heart is saddened and my soul is vexed, and I cry to Thee, imploring Thee to protect them, by Thy power that hath encompassed the entire creation both visible and invisible, from whatsoever may be abhorrent to Thee. This is not for their own sakes, but that Thy name may, through them, abide amongst Thy servants, and Thy remembrance may continue to endure in Thy dominions.
Translation Notes
ظُهُورِ
literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation
يَحْزَنُ
literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish; to grieve; to sorrow; to be sad
الغَيْبِ
literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated
وَذِكْرُكَ
literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations
