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Prayers and Meditations — §45

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 45 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

الأَشْقِيآءِ، أَيْ رَبِّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ بِما وَرَدَ عَلَيْنا فِيْ سَبِيلِكَ، يا لَيْتَ قَدَّرْتَ لِظاهِرِ جَسَدِي عُمْرَ الأَوَّلِيْنَ وَالآخِرِينَ، بَلْ ما لا يُحْصِيهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْ العالَمِينَ، وَنَزَّلْتَ فِيْ كُلِّ آنٍ بَلاءً جَدِيدًا فِيْ حُبِّكَ وَرِضائِكَ، وَلكِنْ يا إِلهِي أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ بِأَنِّي ما أَرَدْتُ إِلاَّ ما أَردْتَ وَقَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

We render Thee thanks, O our Lord, for all the troubles which have touched us in Thy path. Oh, that the span of my earthly life could be so extended as to embrace the lives of the former and the latter generations, or could even be so lengthened that no man on the face of the earth could measure it, and be afflicted every day and every moment with a fresh tribulation for love of Thee and for Thy pleasure’s sake!

Translation Notes

الأَشْقِيآءِ،
sh-q-y

literal: wretched ones; the miserable; the wicked

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “signs” Distinctive

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: love; affection

لَكَ
l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

الحَمْدُ
ḥ-m-d → “thanks”

literal: praise; to praise

بِما
m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

وَرَدَ
w-r-d → “have touched” Distinctive

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

عَلَيْنا
ʿ-l-y → “us”

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

فِيْ
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ،
s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

يا
y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

لَيْتَ
l-y-t → “would”

literal: would that; oh that; expressing a wish

قَدَّرْتَ
q-d-r → “could be so extended” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لِظاهِرِ
ẓ-h-r → “earthly” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

جَسَدِي
j-s-d

literal: body; corpse; physical form

عُمْرَ
ʿ-m-r → “life” Distinctive

literal: life; age; duration; by the life of (oath)

الأَوَّلِيْنَ
ʾ-w-l → “this world” Distinctive

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

وَالآخِرِينَ،
ʾ-kh-r → “next” Distinctive

literal: hereafter; other; last

بَلْ
b-l → “but”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

لا
l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يُحْصِيهِ
ḥ-ṣ-y → “reckon”

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

أَحَدٌ
ʾ-ḥ-d → “man” Distinctive

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

مِنْ
m-n → “on the face of”

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

العالَمِينَ،
ʿ-l-m → “earth” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَنَزَّلْتَ
n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

كُلِّ
k-l-l → “every”

literal: for us; to us

آنٍ
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

بَلاءً
b-l-w → “tribulation”

literal: trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity

جَدِيدًا
j-d-d → “fresh”

literal: new, novel, renewed; novelty, innovation

حُبِّكَ
ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

وَرِضائِكَ،
r-ḍ-y → “pleasure’s”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

وَلكِنْ
l-k-n

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h

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

أَنْتَ
ʾ-n-t

literal: you (masculine singular)

بِأَنِّي
ʾ-n-n

literal: building, structure, edifice; to build, construct; structure, edifice

أَرَدْتُ
r-w-d

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

إِلاَّ
ʾ-kh-r

literal: hereafter; other; last

وَقَ
w-q-y

literal: fear; piety; to fear

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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