Prayers and Meditations — §545

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 545 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي كُلَّما أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَكَ يَمْنَعُنِي خَطِيئَاتِيَ الكُبْرى وَجَرِيراتِيَ العُظْمی، وَبِها أَجِدُ نَفْسِيْ مَحْرُومَةً عَنْكَ وَمَمْنُوعَةً عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ، وَلكِنَّ إِيقانِي بِكَرَمِكَ يُشَجِّعُنِيْ وَاطْمِئْنانِي بِجُودِكَ يُطْمِعُنِيْ بِأَنْ أَذْكُرَكَ وَأَطْلُبَ مِنْكَ ما عِنْدَكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا إِلهِي بِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I venture to make mention of Thee, I am held back by my mighty sins and grievous trespasses against Thee, and find myself wholly deprived of Thy grace, and utterly powerless to celebrate Thy praise. My great confidence in Thy bounty, however, reviveth my hope in Thee, and my certitude that Thou wilt bountifully deal with me emboldeneth me to extol Thee, and to ask of Thee the things Thou dost possess.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glorified”

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

اللَّهُمَّ

ʾ-l-h → “O Lord my God”

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

يا

literal: O; or

كُلَّما

k-l-l → “Every time”

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

أُرِيدُ

r-y-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to will; to intend; to wish; will, volition, intention, desire

أَنْ

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَذْكُرَكَ

dh-k-r → “make mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

يَمْنَعُنِي

m-n-ʿ → “held back” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

خَطِيئَاتِيَ

kh-ṭ-ʾ → “sins”

literal: sin; error; errors

الكُبْرى

k-b-r → “mighty”

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

وَجَرِيراتِيَ

j-r-r → “trespasses”

literal: sin; transgression; crime; that which is drawn or dragged

العُظْمی،

ʿ-ẓ-m → “grievous” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وَبِها

b-y-ʾ → “by”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَجِدُ

w-j-d → “find”

literal: creation; bringing into existence

نَفْسِيْ

n-f-s → “myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

مَحْرُومَةً

ḥ-r-m → “deprived”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

عَنْكَ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وَلكِنَّ

l-k-n → “however”

literal: but; however; yet; nevertheless

إِيقانِي

y-q-n → “certitude”

literal: certitude; conviction; certainty; faith

بِكَرَمِكَ

k-r-m → “bounty”

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

يُشَجِّعُنِيْ

sh-j-ʿ → “hath emboldened me” Distinctive

literal: embolden; brave; encourage

وَاطْمِئْنانِي

ṭ-m-n → “confidence”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

بِجُودِكَ

j-w-d → “bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

يُطْمِعُنِيْ

ṭ-m-ʿ → “emboldeneth”

literal: expect; make covetous; desire

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; indeed; moment

وَأَطْلُبَ

ṭ-l-b → “ask”

literal: seeking; seek; seeker

مِنْكَ

m-n → “of Thee”

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

عِنْدَكَ،

ʿ-n-d → “possess”

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

أَسْئَلُكَ

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

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