Prayers and Meditations — §500

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 500 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا إِلهِي مَعَ عِلْمِيْ وَإِيقانِي بِأَنَّ ذِكْرَ دُونِكَ لَنْ يَصِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَثَناءَ غَيْرِكَ لا يَتَعارَجُ إِلى سَمآءِ قُرْبِكَ، لَوْ أَصْمُتُ مِنْ ثَنائِكَ وَبَدائِعِ ذِكْرِكَ لَيَحْتَرِقُ كَبِدِيْ وَتَذُوبُ نَفْسِيْ، بِذِكْرِكَ يا إِلهِي يَسْكُنُ عَطَشِيْ وَيَسْتَرِيحُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

By Thy glory, O my God! Though I recognize and firmly believe that no description which any except Thyself can give of Thee can beseem Thy grandeur, and that no glory ascribed to Thee by any save Thyself can ever ascend into the atmosphere of Thy presence, yet were I to hold my peace, and cease to glorify Thee and to recount Thy wondrous glory, my heart would be consumed, and my soul would melt away.

Translation Notes

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

مَعَ

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

عِلْمِيْ

ʿ-l-m → “knowledge”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَإِيقانِي

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ذِكْرَ

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

دُونِكَ

d-w-n → “any except Thyself” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

لَنْ

l-n → “neither”

literal: will not (negation of future)

يَصِلَ

w-ṣ-l → “and” Distinctive

literal: to reach; to arrive; to attain; to connect

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

وَثَناءَ

th-n-y → “glory”

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

غَيْرِكَ

gh-y-r → “any save Thyself” Distinctive

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

لا

l-ʾ → “no”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَتَعارَجُ

ʿ-r-j → “ascend”

literal: ascension; ascend; ascents

سَمآءِ

s-m-w → “atmosphere of” Distinctive

literal: heaven; sky

قُرْبِكَ،

q-r-b → “Thy presence”

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

لَوْ

l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

أَصْمُتُ

ṣ-m-t → “silent” Distinctive

literal: silent; be silent; silence

مِنْ

m-n → “and” Distinctive

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

وَبَدائِعِ

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

لَيَحْتَرِقُ

ḥ-r-q → “would be consumed” Distinctive

literal: to burn; to be consumed by fire; burning

كَبِدِيْ

k-b-d → “hearts” Distinctive

literal: by hand; with hands

وَتَذُوبُ

dh-w-b → “consumed” Distinctive

literal: melt; melted; to melt

نَفْسِيْ،

n-f-s → “my soul”

literal: soul; self; person; essence

يَسْكُنُ

s-k-n

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

عَطَشِيْ

ʿ-ṭ-sh

literal: thirsty, athirst

وَيَسْتَرِيحُ

r-w-ḥ

literal: spirit; spiritual; soul

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