Prayers and Meditations — §473

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 473 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

َّتِكَ لا يَمْنَعُنِي عَنْ ذِكْرِ ما أُمِرْتُ بِهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ، مَعَ إِرَادَتِكَ لَيْسَ لِي إِرادَةٌ وَعِنْدَ مَشِيَّتِكَ لَيْسَ لِي مَشِيَّةٌ، أَكُونُ بِفَضْلِكَ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوالِ حاضِرًا لِخِدْمَتِكَ وَمُنْقَطِعًا عَمَّا س

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I swear by Thy might! Neither the hosts of the earth nor those of heaven can keep me back from revealing the things I am commanded to manifest. I have no will before Thy will, and can cherish no desire in the face of Thy desire. By Thy grace I am, at all times, ready to serve Thee and am rid of all attachment to any one except Thee.

Translation Notes

َّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “by Thy might”

literal: glory; mighty; might

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَمْنَعُنِي

m-n-ʿ → “keep me back” Distinctive

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذِكْرِ

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أُمِرْتُ

ʾ-m-r → “commanded”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

بِهِ

b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

جُنُودُ

j-n-d → “hosts”

literal: hosts, armies, troops

السَّمَواتِ

s-m-w → “of heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

وَالأَرَضِينَ،

ʾ-r-ḍ → “of the earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

مَعَ

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

إِرَادَتِكَ

r-w-d → “Thy will”

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

لَيْسَ

l-y-s → “is not”

literal: is not; to be not

لِي

ʿ-l-y

literal: upon; on; exalted

وَعِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “in the face” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

مَشِيَّتِكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thy desire” Distinctive

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

أَكُونُ

k-w-n → “I am”

literal: be; was; to be

بِفَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “By Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

فِي

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

الأَحْوالِ

ḥ-w-l → “times,”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

حاضِرًا

ḥ-ḍ-r → “His Majesty” Distinctive

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

لِخِدْمَتِكَ

kh-d-m → “to serve Thee”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

وَمُنْقَطِعًا

q-ṭ-ʿ → “am rid of”

literal: to be severed; to be cut off; to detach oneself; to abstain

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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