Prayers and Meditations — §505

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 505 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

تَرَى يا إِلهِي كَيْفَ حَالَ بَيْنَ عِبادِكَ وَمَظْهَرِ نَفْسِكَ ظُلْمُ المُعْرِضِينَ مِن خَلْقِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ ما يُشْغِلُهُمْ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ، ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ بِأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ لِتَسْتَرِيحَ بِذلِكَ الأَرْضُ وَمَنْ عَلَيْها، أَيْ رَبِّ إِنَّ أَمَةً

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou seest, O my God, how the wrongs committed by such of Thy creatures as have turned their backs to Thee have come in between Him in Whom Thy Godhead is manifest and Thy servants. Send down upon them, O my Lord, what will cause them to be busied with each others’ concerns. Let, then, their violence be confined to their own selves, that the land and they that dwell therein may find peace.

Translation Notes

تَرَى

r-ʾ-y → “seest”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

كَيْفَ

k-y-f → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

حَالَ

ḥ-w-l → “come in between” Distinctive

literal: state; condition; circumstance

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَمَظْهَرِ

ẓ-h-r → “manifest”

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

نَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “Thy Godhead” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

ظُلْمُ

ẓ-l-m → “wrongs” Distinctive

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

المُعْرِضِينَ

ʿ-r-ḍ → “turned away” Distinctive

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

مِن

m-n → “from”

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

فَأَنْزِلْ

n-z-l → “Send down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “upon them”

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُشْغِلُهُمْ

sh-gh-l → “busied” Distinctive

literal: occupied; busy; occupy

ثُمَّ

th-m-m → “then”

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اجْعَلْ

j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

بِأْسَهُمْ

b-ʾ-s → “Wretched” Distinctive

literal: foundation; basis; groundwork

بَيْنَهُمْ

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

لِتَسْتَرِيحَ

r-w-ḥ → “spirit” Distinctive

literal: rest; ease; comfort; tranquility; wind; breeze; spirit; fragrance; scent; aroma

بِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; this; it; by that

الأَرْضُ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “the land” Distinctive

literal: earth; land; ground; country

إِنَّ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَمَةً

ʾ-m-m → “before” Distinctive

literal: mother

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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160 ¶

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59 ¶