Prayers and Meditations — §490

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 490 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَسْئَلُكَ يا مَنْ بِيَدِكَ زِمامُ الاخْتِيارِ بِأَنْ تَنْصُرَهُمْ بِبَدائِعِ نُصْرَتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ قَدْ أَخَذَتْهُمُ الذِّلَّةُ فِي سَبِيلِكَ عَزِّزْهُمْ بِسُلْطانِكَ، وَقَدْ أَخَذَهُمُ الضَّعْفُ فِي حُبِّكَ فَأَغْلِبْهُمْ عَلَى الأَعْدآءِ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَاقْتِدارِكَ، وَلَوْ أَنِّيْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O Thou Who holdest in Thy hands the reins of unconstrained power, to succor them through the wondrous potency of Thy might. Misery, O my Lord, hath taken hold on them in Thy path, exalt them by the power of Thy sovereignty; and weariness hath afflicted them in their love for Thee, render them victorious, through Thy strength and Thine omnipotence, over Thine enemies.

Translation Notes

أَسْئَلُكَ

ʾasʾaluk s-ʾ-l → “implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

beseech 46% implore 24% entreat 18% beg 5% pray 4% destroy 1% ask 1% deal 1% god 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: pray gleaningsGWB §466: Enquire for thyself kitab-i-iqanKIQ §285: seek prayers-and-meditationsP&M §127: I pray Thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: I implore Thee gleaningsGWB §592: be asked prayers-and-meditationsP&M §827: hath been set aflame epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: ask

بِيَدِكَ

bíadik y-d-y → “thy hands”

literal: hand; hands; by-hand

whose 40% hand 35% hands 15% holdest 5% whom 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: its hand gleaningsGWB §62: In His right hand kitab-i-iqanKIQ §95: with their own hands prayers-and-meditationsP&M §109: in Whose hands tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: in Whose hand is tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: with their hands epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §144: with the hand gleaningsGWB §163: allowed Pharaoh’s rod

زِمامُ

zimám z-m-m → “reins”

literal: rein; reins; rein/control

reins 93% restrain 4% empire 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §8: are the reins kitab-i-iqanKIQ §78: restrain Our prayers-and-meditationsP&M §181: that the reins epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: reins prayers-and-meditationsP&M §777: the empire epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §144: the reins

الاخْتِيارِ

al-ákhtíár kh-y-r → “unconstrained power” Distinctive

literal: good; better; choose

This form usually rendered as “chose”, “chosen”, “retired” (12 occurrences)

chose 33% chosen 11% retired 11% dominion 11% unconstrained 11% power 11% ponder 11%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §88: what ye prefer gleaningsGWB §183: hath drained kitab-i-iqanKIQ §10: retired prayers-and-meditationsP&M §531: of unsurpassed the-hidden-wordsHW §101: Ponder will-and-testamentW&T §36: Thy goodly gifts epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §267: better gleaningsGWB §594: virtue

تَنْصُرَهُمْ

tanṣurahum n-ṣ-r → “succor”

literal: help; victory; helper

aid 22% victory 18% help 17% triumph 14% succor 6% assist 6% ascendancy 5% helped 4% helper 4% extended 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §35: will aid fire-tabletFire §28: championed gleaningsGWB §594: an upholder and defender kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: can render kitab-i-iqanKIQ §88: Christian prayers-and-meditationsP&M §354: succor will-and-testamentW&T §5: triumphant assistance epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: helped

بِبَدائِعِ

bibadáʾiʿ b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: wondrous; wonders

wonders 44% wondrous 38% tokens 6% incomparable 6% through 6%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §142: Incomparable gleaningsGWB §682: wondrous works kitab-i-iqanKIQ §20: creator prayers-and-meditationsP&M §315: things the-hidden-wordsHW §160: mystic will-and-testamentW&T §2: most wondrous epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §191: the universe gleaningsGWB §116: wonders

رَبِّ

rabb r-b-b → “my lord”

literal: Lord; lord

lord 93% god 3% creator 1% one 1% art 1% none 1% ruler 1% thou 1% ‘lord 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §229: educated gleaningsGWB §272: the Lord, thy God kitab-i-iqanKIQ §1: OUR LORD prayers-and-meditationsP&M §196: art tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: the All-Glorious the-hidden-wordsHW §25: of thy God will-and-testamentW&T §47: O epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §108: Lord

أَخَذَتْهُمُ

ʾakhadhathum ʾ-kh-dh → “taken hold on”

literal: take; take/seize

SE expanded to “taken hold on”

who 20% carried 20% taken 20% down 20% have 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: partake fire-tabletFire §16: made captive gleaningsGWB §295: cleave ye kitab-i-iqanKIQ §162: amass prayers-and-meditationsP&M §32: fallen tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: choose tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: Seize thou the-hidden-wordsHW §64: come upon thee

الذِّلَّةُ

adh-dhillah dh-l-l → “misery” Distinctive

literal: abasement; abasement, humiliation

This form usually rendered as “abasement”, “wretchedness”, “abased” (29 occurrences)

abasement 42% wretchedness 13% abased 13% degradation 8% ashamed 4% abject 4% depth 4% misery 4% shame 4% mortality 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §184: Such abasement gleaningsGWB §184: over My abasement kitab-i-iqanKIQ §138: shameful circumstances prayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: of mortality and abasement the-hidden-wordsHW §125: of abasement will-and-testamentW&T §36: Lowly epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §162: dishonor gleaningsGWB §501: outward humiliation

سَبِيلِكَ

sabílik s-b-l → “thy path”

literal: path; way; path/way

path 87% sake 5% way 2% thee 2% path.” 2% path!” 2% ways 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §258: a road leading gleaningsGWB §97: door kitab-i-iqanKIQ §273: path!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §267: and in Thy path.”the-hidden-wordsHW §51: My path will-and-testamentW&T §3: shed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §86: the Straight gleaningsGWB §509: the state

عَزِّزْهُمْ

ʿazzizhum ʿ-z-z → “exalt”

literal: glory; mighty; might

glory 36% all-glorious 15% almighty 9% swear 8% mighty 7% might 6% transcendent 6% exalted 5% most 4% gracious 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §223: exalted be His fire-tabletFire §43: by Thy banishment gleaningsGWB §640: greater honor kitab-i-iqanKIQ §264: dignitaries prayers-and-meditationsP&M §217: Thy majesty the-hidden-wordsHW §125: Pride not yourselves will-and-testamentW&T §4: endeared epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §189: the Almighty

بِسُلْطانِكَ،

bisulṭánika، s-l-ṭ → “power of thy sovereignty”

literal: sovereignty

SE expanded to “power of Thy sovereignty”

sovereignty 72% power 12% sovereign 7% almighty 2% most 2% whose 2% before 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §93: through the power of gleaningsGWB §109: sovereign Lord kitab-i-iqanKIQ §25: of the King prayers-and-meditationsP&M §27: Thy most ancient sovereignty tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §1: is the King the-hidden-wordsHW §98: chief will-and-testamentW&T §8: unto a just king epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §6: my King

وَقَدْ

waqad q-d → “we have been”

literal: already/indeed; indeed/already; already

SE rendered عَزِّزْهُمْ (ʿazzizhum), بِسُلْطانِكَ، (bisulṭánika،), وَقَدْ (waqad), أَخَذَهُمُ (ʾakhadhahum), الضَّعْفُ (aḍ-ḍaʿf) as “exalt, the power of Thy sovereignty, and, hath afflicted, weariness”