Prayers and Meditations — §539

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 539 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَكَ الحَمْدُ يا إِلهِي عَلَى ما قَدَّرْتَ لِيْ بِأَمْرِكَ وَسْلْطانِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِأَنْ تُثَبِّتَنِيْ وَأَحِبَّائِي عَلَى حُبِّكَ وَأَمْرِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ يا إِلهِي إِنَّ الذِّلََّةَ فِي احْتِجابِ العَبْدِ عَنْكَ وَالعِزَّةَ فِي عِرْفانِهِ إِيَّاكَ، مَعَ اسْمِكَ لا يَضُرُّنِي شَيْءٌ وَمَعَ حُبِّكَ لا يُجْزِعُنِيْ بَلآءُ العالَمِينَ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

All praise be to Thee, O my God, for the things Thou didst ordain for me through Thy decree and by the power of Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee that Thou wilt fortify both myself and them that love me in our love for Thee, and wilt keep us firm in Thy Cause. I swear by Thy might! O my God! Thy servant’s shame is to be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and his glory is to know Thee. Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.

Translation Notes

لَكَ

l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

الحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d → “praise”

literal: praise; to praise

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “for” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَدَّرْتَ

q-d-r → “ordain”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

لِيْ

ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: for us; to us

بِأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy decree” Distinctive

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

وَسْلْطانِكَ،

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that Thou wilt”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُثَبِّتَنِيْ

th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: established; establish; affirmation

وَأَحِبَّائِي

ḥ-b-b → “them that love me”

literal: love; affection

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “swear by Thy might”

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

إِنَّ

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الذِّلََّةَ

dh-l-l → “shame” Distinctive

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

احْتِجابِ

ḥ-j-b → “veil”

literal: veil; veiled; veils

العَبْدِ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servant’s”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

عَنْكَ

ʿ-n → “from Thee” Distinctive

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

عِرْفانِهِ

ʿ-r-f → “know”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

إِيَّاكَ،

ʾ-y-y → “verse” Distinctive

literal: beware (imperative); you; would that, I wish, if only (optative particle)

مَعَ

m-ʿ → “notwithstanding”

literal: with; together with; alongside

اسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “Thy name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَضُرُّنِي

ḍ-r-r → “hurt”

literal: harm; hardship; affliction

شَيْءٌ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

يُجْزِعُنِيْ

j-z-ʿ → “impatient” Distinctive

literal: be-impatient; dismay; to be impatient/distressed

بَلآءُ

b-l-w → “world’s afflictions”

literal: trial, tribulation, affliction, calamity

العالَمِينَ.

literal: world; universe; the worlds

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