Prayers and Meditations — §481

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 481 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

آءِ وَثَنَائَكَ عِنْدَ هُبُوبِ أَرْياحِ القَضآءِ، وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ يا إِلهِي بِأَنَّ البَهآءَ لا يَجْزَعُ عَمَّا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ فِي سَبِيلِكَ بَلْ أَجِدُ كُلَّ أَعْضَائِي وَجَوارِحِي يَشْتاقُ البَلآءَ لإِظْهارِ أَمْرِكَ يا مالِكَ الأَسْماءِ، مِنْ ماءِ حُبِّكَ اسْتَبْقَى البَهآءُ فِي مَلَكُوتِ الإِنْشآءِ، وَمِنْ نَارِ ذِكْرِكَ اشْتَعَلَ البَهآءُ بَيْنَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمآءِ، طُوبى لِي وَلِهذِهِ النَّارِ الَّتِيْ تُسْمَعُ مِنْ زَفِيرِها لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

How sweet is the thought of Thee in times of adversity and trial, and how delightful to glorify Thee when compassed about with the fierce winds of Thy decree! Thou knowest full well, O my God, that I endure patiently whatsoever toucheth me in Thy path. Nay, I perceive that all the members and limbs of my body long for tribulation, that I may manifest Thy Cause, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names! The waters of Thy love have preserved me in the kingdom of Thy creation, and the fire of my remembrance of Thee hath set me ablaze before all that are in heaven and on earth. Great is my blessedness, and great the blessedness of this fire whose flame crieth out: “No God is there save Thee, Who art the Object of my heart’s adoration, and the Source and Center of my soul!”

Translation Notes

وَثَنَائَكَ

th-n-y → “to glorify Thee” Distinctive

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

عِنْدَ

ʿ-n-d → “when compassed about with” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

هُبُوبِ

h-b-b → “wafted” Distinctive

literal: blowing; onset; rushing of wind

أَرْياحِ

r-w-ḥ

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

القَضآءِ،

q-ḍ-y → “of Thy decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

وَأَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

تَعْلَمُ

ʿ-l-m → “knowest full well”

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

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

البَهآءَ

b-h-w → “I”

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَجْزَعُ

j-z-ʿ

literal: to grieve; to be dismayed; grief, dismay

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “hath befallen”

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

عَلَيْهِ

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيلِكَ

s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

بَلْ

b-l → “Nay”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

أَجِدُ

w-j-d → “I perceive” Distinctive

literal: creation; bringing into existence

كُلَّ

k-l-l → “that all”

literal: for us; to us

أَعْضَائِي

ʿ-ḍ-w → “members” Distinctive

literal: verse; sign; miracle; testimony; token

وَجَوارِحِي

j-r-ḥ → “members”

literal: wounded; injured

يَشْتاقُ

sh-w-q → “long”

literal: longing; yearning; longing, yearning

البَلآءَ

b-l-w → “for tribulation”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

لإِظْهارِ

ẓ-h-r → “that I may manifest” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

أَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

مالِكَ

m-l-k → “Thou Who art the Lord”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الأَسْماءِ،

s-m-w → “of all names”

literal: heaven; sky

مِنْ

m-n → “The” Distinctive

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

ماءِ

m-w-h → “waters of”

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

حُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b → “Thy love”

literal: love; affection

اسْتَبْقَى

b-q-y → “eternal” Distinctive

literal: remaining; permanence; remain

الإِنْشآءِ،

n-sh-ʾ → “of Thy creation”

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

نَارِ

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: light; illumination

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “of my remembrance of Thee”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

اشْتَعَلَ

sh-ʿ-l → “kindled”

literal: to kindle, burn, be inflamed; to blaze

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “before” Distinctive

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

الأَرْضِ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

طُوبى

ṭ-w-b → “Great is my blessedness”

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

تُسْمَعُ

s-m-ʿ → “heard”

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

زَفِيرِها

z-f-r → “sighs” Distinctive

literal: sighs; sigh; sighing

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

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