Prayers and Meditations — §475

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 475 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَحِبَّائَكَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيْ أَعْدائِكَ وَتَسْمَعُ ضَجِيجَهُمْ مِن كُلِّ الأَشْطَارِ بِما وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ بِأَنَّهُمْ ما أَرادُوا إِلاَّ وَجْهَكَ وَما أَقْبَلُوا إِلاَّ إِلى حَضْرَتِكَ، وَالَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوهُمْ ما أَرَادُوا بِذلِكَ إِلاَّ الإِعْراضَ عَنْكَ وَإِخْمادَ نَارِ الَّتِيْ أَوْقَدْتَها بِأَيْدِي قُدْرَتِكَ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou dost consider, O my Lord, how Thy dear ones are sore pressed by Thine enemies, and hearest from all sides their sighing by reason of what hath befallen them in Thy path. Thou knowest, O my Lord, that their one desire was to seek Thy face, and that the sole Object of their adoration was Thee. They who wronged them had no other purpose except to turn them away from Thee, and to extinguish the fire which Thou hadst kindled with the hands of Thine almighty power.

Translation Notes

أَحِبَّائَكَ

ḥ-b-b → “dear ones” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

بَيْنَ

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

أَعْدائِكَ

ʿ-d-w → “Thine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

وَتَسْمَعُ

s-m-ʿ → “hearest”

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

ضَجِيجَهُمْ

ḍ-j-j → “sighing”

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

مِن

m-n → “from”

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

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all sides”

literal: for us; to us

الأَشْطَارِ

literal: side, direction; half; to split

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “hath befallen”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ،

s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “knowest”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بِأَنَّهُمْ

ʾ-n-n → “that their one”

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

أَرادُوا

r-y-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

وَجْهَكَ

w-j-h → “Thy face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

أَقْبَلُوا

q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

إِلى

literal: to; to, toward; to, until

حَضْرَتِكَ،

ḥ-ḍ-r → “Thee”

literal: presence; majesty; His/Your Excellency

وَالَّذِينَ

l-dh-y → “which” Distinctive

literal: those who; the ones who (relative pronoun)

ظَلَمُوهُمْ

ẓ-l-m → “wronged them”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

بِذلِكَ

literal: that; this; it; by that

الإِعْراضَ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turn them away” Distinctive

literal: to turn away; to avert; to abstain; heedless

عَنْكَ

ʿ-n → “from Thee” Distinctive

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وَإِخْمادَ

kh-m-d → “quench”

literal: to extinguish, quench, suppress

نَارِ

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

أَوْقَدْتَها

w-q-d → “kindled”

literal: kindle; kindled; kindled, burning

بِأَيْدِي

y-d-y → “hands”

literal: hand; power; action; possession

قُدْرَتِكَ،

q-d-r → “almighty power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

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