Prayers and Meditations — §454

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 454 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

مِنْ بَدَائِعِ نَعْمَائِكَ المَكْنُونَةِ بِفَضْلِكَ وَعَطائِكَ، فَيَا إِلهِي هذا أَوَّلُ أَيَّامِي قَدِ اتَّصَلَ بِأَيَّامِكَ، فَلَمَّا شَرَّفْتَنِي بِهذَا الفَضْلِ العَظِيمِ لا تَمْنَعْنِيْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

These are the earliest days of my life, O my God, which Thou hast linked with Thine own days. Now that Thou hast conferred upon me so great an honor, withhold not from me the things Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones.

Translation Notes

مِنْ

m-n

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

بَدَائِعِ

b-d-ʿ

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

نَعْمَائِكَ

n-ʿ-m

literal: blessing; bounty; favor

المَكْنُونَةِ

k-n-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform

بِفَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَعَطائِكَ،

ʿ-ṭ-w

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

فَيَا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

هذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

أَوَّلُ

ʾ-w-l → “first”

literal: first; beginning; at first

أَيَّامِي

y-w-m → “days”

literal: day; age; period; era

قَدِ

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

اتَّصَلَ

w-ṣ-l → “linked”

literal: and; union; reach

فَلَمَّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

شَرَّفْتَنِي

sh-r-f

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

العَظِيمِ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَمْنَعْنِيْ

m-n-ʿ → “withhold”

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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160 ¶

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59 ¶