Prayers and Meditations — §509

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 509 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ٌ مِنْ عِلْمِكَ المَكْنُونِ ارْتَفَعَ ضَجِيجُ العُشَّاقِ مِنْ كُلِّ الأَشْطَارِ وَبِذلِكَ وَرَدَ عَلَى الأَخْيارِ ما بَكَتْ عَنْهُ سُكَّانُ سُرادِقِ مَجْدِكَ وَناحَتْ أَه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No sooner, however, had the Pen traced upon the tablet one single letter of Thy hidden wisdom, than the voice of the lamentation of Thine ardent lovers was lifted up from all directions. Thereupon, there befell the just what hath caused the inmates of the tabernacle of Thy glory to weep and the dwellers of the cities of Thy revelation to groan.

Translation Notes

مِنْ

m-n → “of Thy”

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

عِلْمِكَ

ʿ-l-m → “wisdom”

literal: world; universe; the worlds

المَكْنُونِ

k-n-n → “hidden”

literal: to do; to make; to perform

ارْتَفَعَ

r-f-ʿ → “was lifted up”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

ضَجِيجُ

ḍ-j-j → “voice of the lamentation” Distinctive

literal: clamor; outcry; noise; tumult

العُشَّاقِ

ʿ-sh-q → “ardent lovers”

literal: love, passion, ardor

كُلِّ

k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

الأَشْطَارِ

sh-ṭ-r → “directions”

literal: side, direction; half; to split

وَبِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Thereupon”

literal: that; this; it; by that

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “befell”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الأَخْيارِ

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

بَكَتْ

b-k-y → “weep”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

عَنْهُ

ʿ-n → “of Thine”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

سُكَّانُ

s-k-n → “inmates”

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

سُرادِقِ

s-r-d-q → “tabernacle”

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

مَجْدِكَ

m-j-d → “Thy glory” Distinctive

literal: glory; majesty; magnificence

وَناحَتْ

n-w-ḥ → “groan”

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

أَه

ʾ-h

literal: alas

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

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5 ¶

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160 ¶

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59 ¶