Prayers and Meditations — §508

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 508 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

يا إِلهِي وَمَحْبُوبِيْ لا مَفَرَّ لأَحَدٍ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ أَحْكامِكَ وَلا مَهْرَبَ لِنَفْسٍ لَدى صُدُورِ أَوامِرِكَ، أَوْحَيْتَ القَلَمَ أَسْرارَ القِدَمِ وَأَمَرْتَهُ أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ الإِنْسَانَ ما لَمْ يَعْلَمْ وَيُشْرِبَهُمْ كَوْثَرَ المَعَانِي مِنْ كَأْسِ وَحْيِكَ وَإِلْهامِكَ، فَلَمَّا ظَهَرَ مِنْهُ عَلَى اللَّوحِ حَرْف

Shoghi Effendi Translation

My God, my Well-Beloved! No place is there for any one to flee to when once Thy laws have been sent down, and no refuge can be found by any soul after the revelation of Thy commandments. Thou hast inspired the Pen with the mysteries of Thine eternity, and bidden it teach man that which he knoweth not, and caused him to partake of the living waters of truth from the cup of Thy Revelation and Thine inspiration.

Translation Notes

يا

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

وَمَحْبُوبِيْ

ḥ-b-b → “Well-Beloved” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

مَفَرَّ

f-r-r → “flee”

literal: to flee, escape, run away

لأَحَدٍ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “any one”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

عِنْدَ

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

نُزُولِ

n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

أَحْكامِكَ

ḥ-k-m → “laws”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom

وَلا

w-l-y → “no”

literal: friend; lord; guardian

مَهْرَبَ

h-r-b → “refuge”

literal: kindness, affection, clemency; kind, compassionate

لِنَفْسٍ

n-f-s → “soul”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

لَدى

l-d-y → “at”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

صُدُورِ

ṣ-d-r → “breasts”

literal: to issue, emanate, proceed; issued, emanating

أَوامِرِكَ،

ʾ-m-r → “commandments”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

أَوْحَيْتَ

w-ḥ-y → “Revelation” Distinctive

literal: revelation; inspiration; divine communication

القَلَمَ

q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

أَسْرارَ

s-r-r → “mysteries”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

القِدَمِ

q-d-m → “eternity” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

أَنْ

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يُعَلِّمَ

ʿ-l-m → “teach” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

الإِنْسَانَ

ʾ-n-s → “man”

literal: familiar; intimate; companionship; to be acquainted with; companion; intimate friend; to be intimate with; to keep company; to console

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

لَمْ

l-y-s → “not, and caused him to” Distinctive

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

وَيُشْرِبَهُمْ

sh-r-b → “quaffed” Distinctive

literal: to drink; to imbibe

كَوْثَرَ

k-w-th-r → “living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

المَعَانِي

ʿ-n-y → “loving-kindness” Distinctive

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

كَأْسِ

k-ʾ-s → “cup”

literal: cup; chalice; goblet

وَإِلْهامِكَ،

l-h-m → “inspiration”

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

فَلَمَّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

ظَهَرَ

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

عَلَى

literal: highest; most high; supreme

اللَّوحِ

literal: tablet; panel; divine decree; revelation

حَرْف

literal: letter; character; edge

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