Prayers and Meditations — §45

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

Source (Arabic)

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،

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

الحَمْدُ

al-ḥamd ḥ-m-d → “render thee thanks”

literal: praise; praised; praiseworthy

SE expanded to “render Thee thanks”

praise 25% thanks 17% praised 13% yield 10% such 10% all 8% give 8% magnified 4% render 3% glory 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: glorious gleaningsGWB §162: Praise be to Thee kitab-i-iqanKIQ §38: Prophet Muhammad prayers-and-meditationsP&M §261: “Praised be tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: ‘Render thanks will-and-testamentW&T §40: the Lord be praised epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §73: “Praised be gleaningsGWB §610: Render thanks

وَرَدَ

warad w-r-d → “troubles which have touched”

literal: entering; come; came upon

SE expanded to “troubles which have touched”

hath 26% have 19% things 14% befallen 13% there 10% befell 6% what 5% suffered 4% result 1% lamenteth 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §211: that attain thereunto gleaningsGWB §711: guide kitab-i-iqanKIQ §162: partaking prayers-and-meditationsP&M §559: to face will-and-testamentW&T §5: dealt a epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §255: guest gleaningsGWB §311: that which it hath been made to endure kitab-i-iqanKIQ §101: was inflicted

سَبِيلِكَ،

sabílika، s-b-l → “thy path”

literal: path; way; path/way

path 88% sake 5% way 1% thee 1% path.” 1% path!” 1% ways 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: straight gleaningsGWB §360: for the sake of kitab-i-iqanKIQ §215: ways prayers-and-meditationsP&M §267: and in Thy path.”tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §11: in My path the-hidden-wordsHW §46: My path will-and-testamentW&T §3: shed streams epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: the ways

قَدَّرْتَ

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

literal: power; powerful

This form usually rendered as “power”, “thou”, “might” (157 occurrences)

SE expanded to “could be so extended”

power 44% thou 30% might 8% dominion 3% omnipotence 2% through 2% didst 2% divine 2% ordained 2% hast 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §100: My power fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §151: awhile kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §208: preeminent power prayers-and-meditationsP&M §491: Thy hand tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: the Powerful the-hidden-wordsHW §149: value

لِظاهِرِ

liẓáhir ẓ-h-r → “my earthly life” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; manifest; appear

This form usually rendered as “manifest”, “revealed”, “made” (461 occurrences)

SE expanded to “my earthly life”

manifest 19% revealed 15% made 13% outward 11% appeared 10% appear 8% outwardly 6% visible 6% earthly 6% manifested 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: manifest fire-tabletFire §12: Dayspring gleaningsGWB §425: hath been brought to light kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: demonstrating kitab-i-iqanKIQ §89: shown themselves prayers-and-meditationsP&M §265: to show forth tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: to assist the-hidden-wordsHW §104: to appear

جَسَدِي

jasadí j-s-d

literal: body

SE rendered لَيْتَ (layt), قَدَّرْتَ (qaddart), لِظاهِرِ (liẓáhir), جَسَدِي (jasadí), عُمْرَ (ʿumr), الأَوَّلِيْنَ (al-ʾawwalín), وَالآخِرِينَ، (wálákhirína،) as “that, could be so extended, my earthly life, span, former, the latter generations”

body 50% limbs 25% earthly 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: the body gleaningsGWB §630: lives kitab-i-iqanKIQ §137: the bodies prayers-and-meditationsP&M §594: dead corpse tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §56: her body the-hidden-wordsHW §120: frame will-and-testamentW&T §13: its mortal frame epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: bodies

عُمْرَ

ʿumr ʿ-m-r → “life”

literal: life; by my life; by the life

righteousness 35% swear 26% life 13% years 6% god 3% age 3% precious 3% days 3% beareth 3% witness! 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §100: By My life gleaningsGWB §529: verily kitab-i-iqanKIQ §146: “As Thou livest prayers-and-meditationsP&M §518: had been built up the-hidden-wordsHW §97: their lives epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §174: reared gleaningsGWB §611: Fane prayers-and-meditationsP&M §19: Frequented

الأَوَّلِيْنَ

al-ʾawwalín ʾ-w-l → “former”

literal: first; firstness

old 25% former 25% first 17% past 8% gone 8% however 8% ancients!” 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: the first fire-tabletFire §31: the people gleaningsGWB §575: before all else kitab-i-ahdAhd §15: members kitab-i-iqanKIQ §234: of the Ancients!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §602: Thy Firstness the-hidden-wordsHW §119: ye that have will-and-testamentW&T §4: Nineteen Letters

وَالآخِرِينَ،

wálákhirína، ʾ-kh-r → “latter generations”

literal: end; hereafter; other

latter 43% last 29% unto 14% future 14%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §128: recent gleaningsGWB §70: heaven kitab-i-iqanKIQ §171: that knoweth no end prayers-and-meditationsP&M §23: Thou delayest the-hidden-wordsHW §96: While there is yet will-and-testamentW&T §42: of late epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §237: in the end gleaningsGWB §285: till the end

يُحْصِيهِ

yuḥṣíh ḥ-ṣ-y → “can”

literal: count; enumerate; counted

reckon 25% incalculable 13% can 13% number 13% could 13% must 13% imperceptible 13%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §123: count gleaningsGWB §163: canst estimate kitab-i-iqanKIQ §240: estimate their number prayers-and-meditationsP&M §638: reckon the-hidden-wordsHW §66: recount will-and-testamentW&T §11: boundless epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §216: unnumbered gleaningsGWB §135: can reckon

أَحَدٌ

ʾaḥadun ʾ-ḥ-d → “man”

literal: anyone; one; oneness

one 27% any 22% man 18% anyone 14% none 6% others 3% neighbor 3% who 2% incomparable 2% other 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §183: alone gleaningsGWB §494: God kitab-i-iqanKIQ §15: eternal prayers-and-meditationsP&M §133: glory tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §55: dweller the-hidden-wordsHW §141: any man’s epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: the Incomparable gleaningsGWB §158: to none

العالَمِينَ،

al-ʿálamína، ʿ-l-m → “earth” Distinctive

literal: world; worlds

This form usually rendered as “worlds”, “all”, “world” (214 occurrences)

worlds 52% all 31% world 6% whole 3% entire 2% earth 2% men 2% creatures 1% creation 1% people 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: clear fire-tabletFire §49: all the worlds gleaningsGWB §227: instructeth kitab-i-ahdAhd §2: recognized kitab-i-iqanKIQ §230: He, Who is the Object of all knowledge prayers-and-meditationsP&M §851: only unto Thee tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worlds tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: which we have taught

وَنَزَّلْتَ

wanazzalt n-z-l → “sent”

literal: descending; descend

sent 44% have 15% hath 7% descended 7% didst 7% rain 4% revealed 4% remained 4% thou 4% written 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §195: hath been mentioned gleaningsGWB §379: have been set down kitab-i-ahdAhd §10: that which We have revealed kitab-i-iqanKIQ §92: caused manna to descend prayers-and-meditationsP&M §247: may befall tablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: Haste thee tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §34: “Descend the-hidden-wordsHW §129: have enshrined

بَلاءً

baláʾan b-l-w → “fresh tribulation”

literal: tribulation; affliction

affliction 31% afflictions 15% tribulation 15% affliction.… 8% must 8% trouble 8% ordeal 8% woe 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: afflicted with trials fire-tabletFire §39: calamity gleaningsGWB §610: been searched out and tested kitab-i-iqanKIQ §39: He might prove prayers-and-meditationsP&M §278: the ills that I suffer the-hidden-wordsHW §49: under My trials will-and-testamentW&T §35: my distress epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §29: tribulation

جَدِيدًا

jadídan j-d-d

literal: new; renew; renewal

SE rendered بَلاءً (baláʾan), جَدِيدًا (jadídan), حُبِّكَ (ḥubbik), وَرِضائِكَ، (wariḍáʾika،) as “fresh tribulation, love of Thee, Thy pleasure’s sake”