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Prayers and Meditations — §464

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 464 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

تْ مِنْ فَمِ إِرادَتِكَ تَتَضَوَّعُ مِنْها نَفَحَاتُ رَحْمَتِكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِالَّذِيْ لَمْ يَكنْ لَهْ شَأْنٌ لِيَتَكَلَّمَ عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ خُدَّامِ بابِكَ وَكَيْفَ المَقَامُ الَّذِيْ فِيْهِ يَنْطِقُ لِسَانُ عَظَمَتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ طَهِّرْ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ لِيَنْظُرُوا بِعُيُونِهِمْ وَيَفْقَهُوا بِقُلُوبِهِمْ لَعَلَّ يَجْذِبُهُمْ آياتُكَ إِلى مَشْرِقِ وَحْيِكَ وَيُقَرِّب

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Some have chosen to cleave to him who is counted unworthy to converse with any of Thy servants that watch at Thy door (Mírzá Yaḥyá), how much more to enter into the court in which the Tongue of Thy majesty speaketh. Cleanse Thou their hearts and their eyes, O my Lord, that they may see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, that haply they may be attracted by Thine utterances to the Dayspring of Thine inspiration, and draw nigh unto the soft-flowing stream of Thy knowledge.

Translation Notes

مِنْ
m-n → “from”

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

فَمِ
f-m-m

literal: mouth

إِرادَتِكَ
r-w-d

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

تَتَضَوَّعُ
ḍ-w-ʿ

literal: diffuse; spread fragrance; diffused

نَفَحَاتُ
n-f-ḥ

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

رَحْمَتِكَ
r-ḥ-m

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

تَمَسَّكَ
m-s-k → “chosen to cleave”

literal: musk; to seize; grip

بِالَّذِيْ
ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

لَمْ
l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يَكنْ
k-w-n → “be”

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

لَهْ
h-w

literal: for them both; to both of them (dual pronoun)

شَأْنٌ
sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise”

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

لِيَتَكَلَّمَ
k-l-m → “to converse”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

عِنْدَ
ʿ-n-d → “possess” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

أَحَدٍ
ʾ-ḥ-d

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

خُدَّامِ
kh-d-m → “serve” Distinctive

literal: service; servitude; to serve

بابِكَ
b-w-b → “Thy door”

literal: door; gate; opening; chapter; way

وَكَيْفَ
k-y-f → “how much more”

literal: how; in what manner

المَقَامُ
q-w-m → “court” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “in which”

literal: those who; who; which

فِيْهِ
f-y

literal: alas; woe; oh

يَنْطِقُ
n-ṭ-q → “speaketh”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

لِسَانُ
l-s-n → “Tongue”

literal: tongue; language

عَظَمَتِكَ،
ʿ-ẓ-m → “majesty”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

طَهِّرْ
ṭ-h-r → “Cleanse”

literal: to purify; to cleanse

قُلُوبَهُمْ
q-l-b → “their hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ
b-ṣ-r → “their eyes”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

لِيَنْظُرُوا
n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

literal: look; looking; view

بِعُيُونِهِمْ
ʿ-y-n → “their eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

وَيَفْقَهُوا
f-q-h → “and understand”

literal: understand; jurists; comprehend, understand

لَعَلَّ
l-ʿ-l → “that haply”

literal: perhaps; perchance; hopefully

يَجْذِبُهُمْ
j-dh-b → “be attracted”

literal: attract; attraction; attract, draw

آياتُكَ
ʾ-y-y → “utterances”

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

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “to”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

مَشْرِقِ
sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

وَحْيِكَ
w-ḥ-y → “inspiration” Distinctive

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

وَيُقَرِّب
q-r-b → “draw nigh”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

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