Prayers and Meditations — §467

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 467 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَأَنتَ القَوِيُّ القَدِيرُ، وَهُمْ فُقَرآءُ وَأَنْتَ الغَنِيُّ الْكَرِيمُ، وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ يا إِلهِي بِأَنِّي ما أَرَدْتُ لِنَفْسِي أَمْرًا فِي أَيَّامِي، فَدَيْتُ رُوحِي وَذاتِي لإِعْلآءِ كَلِمَتِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ وَارْتِفاعِ ذِكْرِكَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ، وَأَرْسَلْتَنِي بِحُجَّةٍ بِها اهْتَزَّ مِنَ الشَّوْقِ مَطَالِعُ وَحْيِكَ وَمَشَارِقُ إِلْهامِكَ وَبِها ثَبَتَ بُرْهَانُكَ وَتَمَّتْ نِعْمَتُكَ وَكَمُلَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou art well aware, O my God, that throughout my life I have sought no advantage for myself. I have offered up my spirit and my whole being for the exaltation of Thy word amidst Thy creatures and the glorification of Thy name among Thy servants. Thou didst send me with such a Testimony that They Who are the Exponents of Thy Revelation and the Daysprings of Thine inspiration were stirred up with vehement longing. Through it, Thy proof was established, and Thy bounty fulfilled, and Thy Cause perfected, and Thine utterances released, and Thy clear tokens uncovered.

Translation Notes

وَأَنتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

القَوِيُّ

q-w-y

literal: strength; power; might; piety; fear of God; godliness

القَدِيرُ،

q-d-r

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَهُمْ

w-h-m

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

فُقَرآءُ

f-q-r

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

الغَنِيُّ

gh-n-y

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

الْكَرِيمُ،

k-r-m

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “art well aware”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

بِأَنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that”

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أَرَدْتُ

r-w-d → “have sought” Distinctive

literal: to want; to intend; to desire

لِنَفْسِي

n-f-s → “myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

أَمْرًا

ʾ-m-r

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

فِي

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

أَيَّامِي،

y-w-m → “Day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

فَدَيْتُ

f-d-y → “have offered up”

literal: to sacrifice; to ransom; to redeem; to sacrifice oneself for

رُوحِي

r-w-ḥ → “my spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

وَذاتِي

dh-w-t → “my whole being”

literal: essence; self; being

لإِعْلآءِ

ʿ-l-w → “exaltation”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

كَلِمَتِكَ

k-l-m → “Thy word”

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

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “amidst”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَارْتِفاعِ

r-f-ʿ → “raised” Distinctive

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “Thy name” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

عِبادِكَ،

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَأَرْسَلْتَنِي

r-s-l → “Thou didst send me”

literal: messenger; send; messengers

بِحُجَّةٍ

ḥ-j-j → “Testimony”

literal: path, way; clear path

بِها

b-h-w → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

اهْتَزَّ

h-z-z → “transports” Distinctive

literal: to shake, quiver, vibrate, tremble with emotion

مِنَ

m-n

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

الشَّوْقِ

sh-w-q → “with vehement longing”

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

مَطَالِعُ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Exponents” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

وَحْيِكَ

w-ḥ-y → “Thy Revelation”

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

وَمَشَارِقُ

sh-r-q → “Daysprings”

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

إِلْهامِكَ

l-h-m → “Thine inspiration”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

وَبِها

b-y-ʾ → “by their aid”

literal: by it; by him; with it

ثَبَتَ

th-b-t → “was established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

بُرْهَانُكَ

b-r-h → “Thy proof”

literal: proof, evidence, demonstration, argument

وَتَمَّتْ

t-m-m → “bounty fulfilled” Distinctive

literal: most complete; to complete; perfect; fullness

نِعْمَتُكَ

n-ʿ-m

literal: bliss; bounty; grace; comfort; felicity

وَكَمُلَ

k-m-l → “Cause perfected” Distinctive

literal: perfection; completeness; fully; with full; in complete; to complete, perfect, fulfill

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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