Prayers and Meditations — §546

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 546 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

رَحْمَتِكَ الَّتِيْ سَبَقَتِ الأَشْيآءَ وَيَشْهَدُ بِها مَنْ فِي لُجَجِ الأَسْمآءِ بِأَنْ لا تَدَعَنِي بِنَفْسِيْ لأنَّها أَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ، فَاحْفَظْنِي فِي حِصْنِ عِصْمَتِكَ وَكَنَفِ حِمايَتِكَ، أَنَا الَّذِيْ يا إِلهِي ما أُرِيْدُ إِلاَّ ما أَنْتَ قَضَيْتَهُ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَهذا مَا اخْتَرْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي أَنْ يُؤَيِّدَنِي حُسْنُ قَضائِكَ وَتَقْدِيرِكَ وَيُسْعِدَنِي شُئُوناتُ إِمْضائِكَ وَإِذْنِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا حَبِيبَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy mercy that hath surpassed all created things, and to which all that are immersed beneath the oceans of Thy names bear witness, not to abandon me unto my self, for my heart is prone to evil. Guard me, then, within the stronghold of Thy protection and the shelter of Thy care. I am he, O my God, whose only wish is what Thou hast determined by the power of Thy might. All I have chosen for myself is to be assisted by Thy gracious appointments and the ruling of Thy will, and to be aided with the tokens of Thy decree and judgment.

Translation Notes

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “that” Distinctive

literal: who; which/that; which

سَبَقَتِ

s-b-q → “hath surpassed”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

الأَشْيآءَ

sh-y-ʾ → “all created things”

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

وَيَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “bear witness” Distinctive

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بِها

b-h-w

literal: by it; by him; with it

مَنْ

m-n → “all that” Distinctive

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

فِي

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

لُجَجِ

l-j-j → “immersed beneath the oceans”

literal: ocean, sea; depths, abyss

الأَسْمآءِ

s-m-w → “Thy names”

literal: heaven; sky

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “not to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَدَعَنِي

w-d-ʿ → “abandon me unto”

literal: call, invocation, summons; to call, invite, summon

بِنَفْسِيْ

n-f-s → “my self” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche

لأنَّها

null

literal: that, it; to be; indeed

أَمَّارَةٌ

ʾ-m-r → “Cause” Distinctive

literal: handmaiden; maidservant; woman servant

بِالسُّوءِ،

s-w-ʾ → “evil”

literal: worst; evil; bad; other than; besides; save; except

فَاحْفَظْنِي

ḥ-f-ẓ → “Guard me”

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

حِصْنِ

ḥ-ṣ-n → “stronghold”

literal: fortress, stronghold, fortified place

عِصْمَتِكَ

ʿ-ṣ-m → “Thy protection” Distinctive

literal: immaculate; protected; infallible

وَكَنَفِ

k-n-f → “shelter”

literal: shelter; shelter/protection; regions

حِمايَتِكَ،

ḥ-m-y → “protection”

literal: to protect; to guard; to preserve; to defend

أَنَا

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أُرِيْدُ

r-y-d → “wish”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “is” Distinctive

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

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

قَضَيْتَهُ

q-ḍ-y → “decree” Distinctive

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

بِقُدْرَتِكَ،

q-d-r → “by the power of” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَهذا

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

اخْتَرْتُهُ

kh-y-r → “have chosen”

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

يُؤَيِّدَنِي

ʾ-y-d → “be assisted”

literal: support; strengthen; aid

حُسْنُ

ḥ-s-n → “most excellent” Distinctive

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَيُسْعِدَنِي

s-ʿ-d → “good” Distinctive

literal: happy, fortunate; fortunate; Sa’id

شُئُوناتُ

sh-ʾ-n → “in such wise” Distinctive

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

إِمْضائِكَ

m-ḍ-y → “passed” Distinctive

literal: pass; execution; past

وَإِذْنِكَ،

ʾ-dh-n → “by Thy leave”

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I implore Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

حَبِيبَ

ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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