Prayers and Meditations — §455

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 455 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

عَمَّا قَدَّرْتَةُ لأصْفِيَائِكَ، وَيا إِلهِي إِنِّي حَبَّةٌ قَدْ زَرَعْتَهَا فِي أَرْضِ حُبِّكَ وَأَنْبَتْتَها بِيَدِ إِحْسَانِكَ، إِذًا تَطْلُبُ بِكيْنُونَتِهَا مَاءَ رَحْمَتِكَ وَكَوْثَرَ فَضْلِكَ، فَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ سَمَاءِ عنَايَتِكَ ما يُرَبِّيهَا فِي ظِلِّكَ وَجِوارِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ ساقِي قُلُوبِ العارِفِينَ مَاءَ الكَوْثَرِ وَالتَّسْنِيمِ وَالحَمْدُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy living waters.

Translation Notes

عَمَّا

literal: with them; in their company

قَدَّرْتَةُ

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لأصْفِيَائِكَ،

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

وَيا

y-ʾ → “O my”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “I”

literal: I, verily; behold I

حَبَّةٌ

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

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

زَرَعْتَهَا

z-r-ʿ → “sown”

literal: sow, plant

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَرْضِ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “soil” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَأَنْبَتْتَها

n-b-t → “bringeth forth” Distinctive

literal: sprouting; plant/herb; growth

بِيَدِ

y-d-y → “by the hand”

literal: it is necessary; it behooves; one must

إِحْسَانِكَ،

ḥ-s-n → “Thy bounty”

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

تَطْلُبُ

ṭ-l-b → “theme” Distinctive

literal: seeking; seek; seeker

بِكيْنُونَتِهَا

k-w-n → “be”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

مَاءَ

m-w-h → “waters”

literal: water; shelter; refuge; dwelling; abode; essence

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وَكَوْثَرَ

k-w-th-r → “living fountain” Distinctive

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

فَضْلِكَ،

f-ḍ-l → “Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

فَأَنْزِلْ

n-z-l → “Send down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيْهَا

ʿ-l-y → “upon it”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

سَمَاءِ

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

عنَايَتِكَ

ʿ-n-y → “Thy loving-kindness”

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُرَبِّيهَا

r-b-y → “education” Distinctive

literal: Lord; Master; Sustainer; Cherisher

ظِلِّكَ

ẓ-l-l → “Thy shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

وَجِوارِكَ،

literal: to neighbor; to adjoin; to dwell near

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

ساقِي

s-q-y → “made me to drink” Distinctive

literal: to give drink; to water, irrigate; to water

قُلُوبِ

q-l-b → “hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

العارِفِينَ

ʿ-r-f → “all that have recognized Thee” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

وَالتَّسْنِيمِ

literal: highest-spring/pure-water; exaltation, fountain in Paradise; fountain

وَالحَمْدُ

literal: praise; to praise

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