Prayers and Meditations — §514

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 514 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا إِلهِي قَدْ ظَهَرَتْ طَلائِعُ رَبِيعِ فَضْلِكَ وَاخْضَرَّتْ بِها أَراضِي مَمْلَكَتِكَ وَأَمْطَرَتْ سَحَابُ سَمآءِ كَرَمِكَ عَلَى هذِهِ المَدِينَةِ الَّتِيْ فِيها حُبِسَ مَنْ أَرادَ عَتْقَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، وَبِهِ تَزَيَّنَتْ أَرْضُها وَتَرَوَّى أَشْجارُها وَاسْتَفْ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glory to Thee, O my God! The first stirrings of the spring of Thy grace have appeared and clothed Thine earth with verdure. The clouds of the heaven of Thy bounty have rained their rain on this City within whose walls is imprisoned Him Whose desire is the salvation of Thy creatures. Through it the soil of this City hath been decked forth, and its trees clothed with foliage, and its inhabitants gladdened.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glory” Distinctive

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

قَدْ

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

ظَهَرَتْ

ẓ-h-r → “have appeared” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

طَلائِعُ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring” Distinctive

literal: rising-place; dawning-place; countenance

رَبِيعِ

r-b-ʿ → “spring”

literal: four; quarter; group of four

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَاخْضَرَّتْ

kh-ḍ-r → “green” Distinctive

literal: green; Khidr; became green

بِها

b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

أَراضِي

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

مَمْلَكَتِكَ

m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَأَمْطَرَتْ

m-ṭ-r → “have rained”

literal: rain

سَحَابُ

s-ḥ-b → “clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

سَمآءِ

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

كَرَمِكَ

k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “on” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

هذِهِ

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

المَدِينَةِ

m-d-n → “City”

literal: city; town

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

فِيها

f-y → “within whose walls”

literal: in it; in them

حُبِسَ

ḥ-b-s → “cast Him into prison” Distinctive

literal: to confine; to detain; prison

مَنْ

m-n → “Him” Distinctive

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

أَرادَ

r-y-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

عَتْقَ

ʿ-t-q → “released”

literal: freedom; liberation; to free; to emancipate

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “creatures”

literal: high; exalted; upper

وَبِهِ

b-h → “as”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

تَزَيَّنَتْ

z-y-n → “decked forth” Distinctive

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty

أَرْضُها

ʾ-r-ḍ → “soil of this City”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَتَرَوَّى

r-w-y → “traditions” Distinctive

literal: banner; face; tradition

أَشْجارُها

sh-j-r → “trees”

literal: tree

وَاسْتَفْ

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones” Distinctive

literal: chosen ones; chosen-ones; purity

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶