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Prayers and Meditations — §570

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 570 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي تَرَى كَيْفَ أَحاطَتِ البَلايا عِبادَكَ فِي كُلِّ الأَطْرافِ، وَكُلٌّ قامُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بِالاعْتِسافِ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لَوْ يَجْتَمِعُ عَلَيْنا أَشْقِيآءُ الأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ وَيُحْرِقُونَنا بِأَشَدِّ ما يُمْكنُ فِي الإِبْداعِ لا يُحَوَّلُ أَبْصارُنا عَنِ النَّظَرِ إِلى أُفُقِ اسْمِكَ العَلِيِّ الأَعْلى وَلا يُقَلَّبُ قُلُوبُنا عَنِ التَّوَجُّهِ إِلى مَنْظَرِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou seest how Thy servants have everywhere been compassed with tribulations, how their adversaries have all risen up against them and grievously wronged them. Thy glory beareth me witness! Were all the wicked doers of the earth to band themselves against us, and to cast us into a fire such as no man hath kindled, they would be powerless to distract our gaze from the horizon of Thy name, the Most Exalted, the Most High, and would fail to turn aside our hearts from the seat of Thine effulgent glory.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ
s-b-ḥ → “Lauded”

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

اللَّهُمَّ
ʾ-l-h → “O Lord” Distinctive

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

يا
y-ʾ

literal: O; or

تَرَى
r-ʾ-y → “seest”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

كَيْفَ
k-y-f → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

أَحاطَتِ
ḥ-w-ṭ → “compassed”

literal: to encompass; to surround; to encircle

البَلايا
b-l-w → “tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

عِبادَكَ
ʿ-b-d → “servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الأَطْرافِ،
ṭ-r-f → “eyes” Distinctive

literal: extremity; end; edge; outskirt; periphery

وَكُلٌّ
k-l-l → “all”

literal: for us; to us

قامُوا
q-w-m → “risen”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿ-l-y → “against” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

بِالاعْتِسافِ،
ʿ-s-f → “injustice”

literal: oppression; tyranny; wrongdoing; unjust treatment

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ
ʿ-z-z → “Thy glory beareth me witness”

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

لَوْ
l-w → “If”

literal: if; would that; O that

يَجْتَمِعُ
j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather, assemble, come together

أَشْقِيآءُ
sh-q-y → “wicked doers”

literal: wretched ones; the miserable; the wicked

الأَرْضِ
ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَيُحْرِقُونَنا
ḥ-r-q → “consumed” Distinctive

literal: burn; burned; burning

بِأَشَدِّ
b-w-d → “is”

literal: to be; to exist; to have been

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

يُمْكنُ
m-k-n → “all created things” Distinctive

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

الإِبْداعِ
b-d-ʿ → “wondrous” Distinctive

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يُحَوَّلُ
ḥ-w-l → “now” Distinctive

literal: state; now; around

أَبْصارُنا
b-ṣ-r → “gaze”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

عَنِ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

إِلى
ʾ-l-y

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

أُفُقِ
ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

اسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “name”

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

العَلِيِّ
ʿ-l-w → “Exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَلا
w-l-y

literal: friend; lord; guardian

يُقَلَّبُ
q-l-b → “turn”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

التَّوَجُّهِ
w-j-h

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

مَنْظَرِكَ
n-ẓ-r → “Consider” Distinctive

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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