Prayers and Meditations — §502

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 502 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَوْلاهُ بِما يَسْتأْنِسُ البَهآءُ وَيَفْرَحُ قَلْبُ البَهآءِ، بِذِكْرِكَ جُعِلْتُ غَنِيًّا مِنْ ذِكْرِ العالَمِينَ وَبِحُبِّكَ لا أَجْزَعُ عَنْ ضُرِّ الظَّالِمِينَ، فَأَرْسِلْ يا إِلهِي عَلَى أَحِبَّتِي ما تَفْرَحُ بِهِ قُلُوبُهُمْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I give thanks to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast suffered me to remember Thee. What else but remembrance of Thee can give delight to my soul or gladness to my heart? Communion with Thee enableth me to dispense with the remembrance of all Thy creatures, and my love for Thee empowereth me to endure the harm which my oppressors inflict upon me.

Translation Notes

لَوْلاهُ

l-w-l

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

يَسْتأْنِسُ

ʾ-n-s → “OF MAN” Distinctive

literal: man; companion; human

البَهآءُ

b-h-w → “the All-Glorious” Distinctive

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

وَيَفْرَحُ

f-r-ḥ → “joy” Distinctive

literal: to rejoice; to be glad; joy

قَلْبُ

q-l-b → “to my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

بِذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “remembrance of Thee”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

جُعِلْتُ

j-ʿ-l → “enableth me” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

غَنِيًّا

gh-n-y → “wealth” Distinctive

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with

مِنْ

m-n

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

العالَمِينَ

ʿ-l-m → “of all Thy creatures” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَبِحُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b → “and my love for Thee”

literal: cord; rope; bond; connection

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

أَجْزَعُ

j-z-ʿ → “impatient”

literal: be-impatient; dismay; to be impatient/distressed

عَنْ

ʿ-n

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ضُرِّ

ḍ-r-r → “harm”

literal: harm; hardship; affliction

الظَّالِمِينَ،

ẓ-l-m → “my oppressors”

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

فَأَرْسِلْ

r-s-l → “Apostle” Distinctive

literal: messenger; send; messengers

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶