Prayers and Meditations — §538

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 538 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فيا إِلهِي لَيْسَ لِيْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِكَ وَلا لِيْ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِكَ، فَيا إِلهِي أَنْتَ أَظْهَرْتَنِي بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَقَمْتَنِيْ لإِظْهارِ أَمْرِكَ وَبِذلِكَ ابْتُلِيْتُ عَلَى شَأْنٍ مَنَعْتَ لِسانِي عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I can utter no word, O my God, unless I be permitted by Thee, and can move in no direction until I obtain Thy sanction. It is Thou, O my God, Who hast called me into being through the power of Thy might, and hast endued me with Thy grace to manifest Thy Cause. Wherefore I have been subjected to such adversities that my tongue hath been hindered from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy glory.

Translation Notes

فيا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

لَيْسَ

l-y-s → “is not”

literal: is not; to be not

لِيْ

ʿ-l-y

literal: for us; to us

مِنْ

m-n

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

ذِكْرٍ

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

بِإِذْنِكَ

ʾ-dh-n → “ear” Distinctive

literal: ear; permission; leave; to permit; to allow; to listen

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

حَرَكَةٍ

ḥ-r-k → “move”

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

بِأَمْرِكَ،

ʾ-m-r → “Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

أَظْهَرْتَنِي

ẓ-h-r → “hast called me into being”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَأَقَمْتَنِيْ

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: station; people; place

وَبِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “Wherefore” Distinctive

literal: that; this; it; by that

ابْتُلِيْتُ

b-l-w → “been subjected to such adversities” Distinctive

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

شَأْنٍ

sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

مَنَعْتَ

m-n-ʿ → “hath been hindered”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

لِسانِي

l-s-n → “my tongue”

literal: tongue; language

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وَثَنائِكَ.

th-n-y → “and from magnifying Thy glory” Distinctive

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶