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Prayers and Meditations — §559

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 559 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

بِذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ، بِحُبِّكَ لا يُجْزِعُنِيْ بُغْضُ أَعْدائِكَ وَبِذِكْرِكَ لا يُحْزِنُنِي شُئُوناتُ قَضائِكَ، فَأَثْبِتْ فِي قَلْبِيْ حُبَّكَ ثُمَّ دَعْنِي لِيَرِدَ عَلَيَّ سُيُوفُ مَنْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كُلِّها، تَاللَّهِ كُلُّ شَعْرٍ مِنْ أَشْعارِيْ يَقُولُ لَوْلا البَلايا فِي سَبِيلِكَ ما لَذَّ لِي حُبُّكَ وَعِشْقُكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

The power of Thy might beareth me witness, O my Well-Beloved! Every limb of my body, methinks, is endowed with a tongue that glorifieth Thee and magnifieth Thy name. Armed with the power of Thy love, the hatred which moveth them that are against Thee can never alarm me; and with Thy praise on my lips, the rulings of Thy decree can in no wise fill me with sorrow. Fortify, therefore, Thy love within my breast, and suffer me to face the assaults which all the peoples of the earth may launch against me. I swear by Thee! Every hair of my head proclaimeth: “But for the adversities that befall me in Thy path, how could I ever taste the divine sweetness of Thy tenderness and love?”

Translation Notes

بِذِكْرِكَ
dh-k-r → “with Thy praise”

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

وَثَنائِكَ،
th-n-y → “glorifieth Thee and magnifieth” Distinctive

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

بِحُبِّكَ
ḥ-b-b → “love”

literal: love; affection

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يُجْزِعُنِيْ
j-z-ʿ

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

بُغْضُ
b-gh-ḍ → “hatred”

literal: hatred; enmity; animosity

أَعْدائِكَ
ʿ-d-w → “enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

يُحْزِنُنِي
ḥ-z-n → “sorrow”

literal: grieve; sorrow; grief

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

قَضائِكَ،
q-ḍ-y → “of Thy decree”

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

فَأَثْبِتْ
th-b-t → “established” Distinctive

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

فِي
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

قَلْبِيْ
q-l-b → “within my breast” Distinctive

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

ثُمَّ
th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

دَعْنِي
w-d-ʿ → “entrusted” Distinctive

literal: to know; to be aware

لِيَرِدَ
w-r-d → “hath befallen” Distinctive

literal: hand; power; strength; (plural) hands; agents; helpers; to assist, to support, to aid, to strengthen

عَلَيَّ
ʿ-l-w → “against me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

سُيُوفُ
s-y-f → “sword”

literal: sword

مَنْ
m-n → “which all the peoples” Distinctive

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

الأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

كُلِّها،
k-l-l → “Every” Distinctive

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

تَاللَّهِ
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

شَعْرٍ
sh-ʿ-r → “hair”

literal: hair

يَقُولُ
q-w-l → “proclaimeth” Distinctive

literal: speech; utterance; saying; word

لَوْلا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: were it not for; if not for; save for

البَلايا
b-l-w → “the adversities” Distinctive

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l → “in Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

لَذَّ
l-dh-dh → “held no sweetness”

literal: therefore; for this reason; hence; so

لِي
ʿ-l-y

literal: upon; on; exalted

وَعِشْقُكَ،
ʿ-sh-q → “Thy tenderness and love?””

literal: love, passion, ardor

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

رَبِّ
r-b-b

literal: Lord; lord; divine

فَأَنْزِلْ
n-z-l

literal: to descend, to be revealed

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