Prayers and Meditations — §571

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 571 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

الأَبْهی، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ إِنَّ السِّهامَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ دِيْباجٌ لِهَيَاكِلِنا وَالرِّماحَ فِي حُبِّكَ حَرِيرٌ لأبْدانِنا، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ لا يَنْبَغِي لأَحِبَّائِكَ إِلاَّ ما سُطِرَ مِنْ قَلَمِ تَقْديِرِكَ فِي هذا اللَّوْحِ العَزِيزِ العَظِيمِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I swear by Thy might! The arrows that transfix us in Thy path are the ornaments of our temples, and the spears which pierce us in our love for Thee are as silk unto our bodies. By the glory of Thy might! Nothing whatsoever can beseem Thy servants except what the pen of Thine irrevocable decree hath traced in this priceless and exalted Tablet.

Translation Notes

الأَبْهی،

al-ʾabhí، b-h-w → “i”

literal: glory; most glorious; most-glorious

all-glorious 63% most 12% glorious 7% abhá 7% effulgent 5% immortality 2% glory 2% brightest 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §120: (bloodmoney)gleaningsGWB §273: My glory prayers-and-meditationsP&M §573: Thy Light the-hidden-wordsHW §22: effulgent glory will-and-testamentW&T §56: Glory of Glories epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §93: of the All-Glorious gleaningsGWB §186: the Faith prayers-and-meditationsP&M §761: Most Glorious

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

fawaʿizzatik ʿ-z-z → “swear by thy might”

literal: glory; mighty; might

SE expanded to “swear by Thy might”

swear 40% glory 38% might 15% power 4% own 2% would—i 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §223: might fire-tabletFire §43: by Thy banishment gleaningsGWB §402: All-Powerful kitab-i-iqanKIQ §152: more glorious prayers-and-meditationsP&M §233: of the-hidden-wordsHW §125: Pride not yourselves will-and-testamentW&T §10: my pride epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §183: true glory

السِّهامَ

as-sihám s-h-m → “arrows”

literal: arrows; arrow; arrow/dart

darts 60% arrows 20% shafts 15% dart 5%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: the shafts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §116: dart epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: darts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §571: arrows epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §164: shafts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §341: the darts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §304: for the darts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §387: the arrows

سَبِيلِكَ

sabílik s-b-l → “thy path”

literal: path; way; path/way

path 87% sake 5% way 2% thee 2% path.” 2% path!” 2% ways 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §258: a road leading gleaningsGWB §509: the state kitab-i-iqanKIQ §273: path!”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §278: Thy path!”the-hidden-wordsHW §51: My path will-and-testamentW&T §3: shed epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: the ways gleaningsGWB §4: is barred

دِيْباجٌ

díbájun d-b-j → “preamble”

literal: preamble

preamble 50% preface 25% ornaments 25%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: the preface prayers-and-meditationsP&M §132: the preamble prayers-and-meditationsP&M §571: ornaments

لِهَيَاكِلِنا

lihayákiliná h-y-k-l → “our temples”

literal: temple; temples

temple 28% form 17% temples 10% embodiments 10% tabernacles 10% beings 7% bodies 7% human 3% embodiment 3% manifestations 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §105: as the human body fire-tabletFire §44: Thy temple gleaningsGWB §193: form of kitab-i-iqanKIQ §10: Him prayers-and-meditationsP&M §597: created things tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §9: the embodiments the-hidden-wordsHW §65: of thy temple will-and-testamentW&T §1: the Temple

وَالرِّماحَ

wálrrimáḥ r-m-ḥ → “spears”

literal: spears; spear, lance; spear

spears 50% spear 17% most 17% shafts 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §265: spears kitab-i-iqanKIQ §220: the menacing darts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §247: the darts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §405: from the shafts prayers-and-meditationsP&M §267: most afflictive spears prayers-and-meditationsP&M §797: the spears prayers-and-meditationsP&M §116: spear

حُبِّكَ

ḥubbik ḥ-b-b → “our love for thee”

literal: love; beloved; beloved ones

SE expanded to “our love for Thee”

love 92% thou 1% loveth 1% own 1% thee 1% whose 1% tenderness 1% have 1% bear 1% woe 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §67: loveth fire-tabletFire §7: of Thy love gleaningsGWB §407: them that love kitab-i-iqanKIQ §15: the lust prayers-and-meditationsP&M §181: O Thou the Best-Beloved tablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: a Day tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved One the-hidden-wordsHW §6: that I may love thee

حَرِيرٌ

ḥarírun ḥ-r-r → “heat” Distinctive

literal: heat

This form usually rendered as “silk” (1 occurrences)

heat 30% liberty 26% warmth 11% setting 7% describe 7% record 4% hotter 4% souls 4% energies 4% silken 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §164: record fire-tabletFire §7: warmth gleaningsGWB §160: its warmth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §207: describe prayers-and-meditationsP&M §80: the flame the-hidden-wordsHW §135: righteous will-and-testamentW&T §38: to write epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §179: setting down

لأبْدانِنا،

lʾabdániná، b-d-n → “our bodies”

literal: bodies; their bodies

bodies 38% body 38% one 8% human 8% frame 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: bodies gleaningsGWB §324: the human body prayers-and-meditationsP&M §571: our bodies gleaningsGWB §339: their bodies prayers-and-meditationsP&M §211: and their bodies gleaningsGWB §286: of gleaningsGWB §390: body gleaningsGWB §307: the body

يَنْبَغِي

yanbaghí n-b-gh → “behooveth”

literal: befit; befits

behooveth 38% beseemeth 21% befitteth 10% becometh 7% meet 7% aid 3% behoove 3% adequately 3% all 3% well 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §196: aid gleaningsGWB §620: becometh kitab-i-ahdAhd §3: meet and seemly prayers-and-meditationsP&M §601: of epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: It behooveth gleaningsGWB §115: adequately kitab-i-ahdAhd §13: meet prayers-and-meditationsP&M §298: would still be unseemly

سُطِرَ

suṭir s-ṭ-r → “written” Distinctive

literal: written; line; written/recorded

This form usually rendered as “line”, “lines”, “traced” (7 occurrences)

line 33% lines 33% traced 17% foretold 17%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §58: recorded kitab-i-iqanKIQ §13: records prayers-and-meditationsP&M §831: hath been set down the-hidden-wordsHW §124: lines epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: inscribed kitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: testifieth the record prayers-and-meditationsP&M §571: traced the-hidden-wordsHW §94: most holy

قَلَمِ

qalam q-l-m → “pen”

literal: pen; pen, reed; the pen

pen 97% abhá 1% supreme 1% most 1% all-glorious 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §35: by Thy Pen gleaningsGWB §66: exclaimeth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §155: Pen of Power prayers-and-meditationsP&M §145: Thy most exalted Pen will-and-testamentW&T §13: clime epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: the Pen gleaningsGWB §719: Our Pen prayers-and-meditationsP&M §780: Thy

تَقْديِرِكَ

taqdyirik q-d-r → “irrevocable decree”

literal: power; powerful; amount

irrevocable 31% decree 23% according 8% immutable 8% ruling 8% purpose 8% appointment 8% through 8%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §167: the aid fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §118: magnitude kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §9: What prayers-and-meditationsP&M §339: Powerful art Thou tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: are not tablet-of-carmelCarmel §5: the Mighty, the All-Powerful

اللَّوْحِ

al-lawḥ l-w-ḥ → “tablet”

literal: tablet; tablets

tablet 88% luminous 4% written 4% preserved 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §101: of gleaningsGWB §664: the Scriptures kitab-i-iqanKIQ §149: manifest prayers-and-meditationsP&M §345: hath shone forth tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §3: the Books will-and-testamentW&T §1: in the Preserved Tablet epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §217: hath shed gleaningsGWB §677: Tablets.…

العَظِيمِ

al-ʿaẓím ʿ-ẓ-m → “exalted” Distinctive

literal: greatest; great; greatness

This form usually rendered as “great”, “most”, “grievous” (128 occurrences)

great 44% most 24% grievous 8% mighty 8% immense 7% sublime 2% announcement 2% abounding 2% how 2% all-powerful 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §3: glory gleaningsGWB §404: transcendeth kitab-i-iqanKIQ §233: a mighty Day prayers-and-meditationsP&M §518: the the-hidden-wordsHW §21: plenteous will-and-testamentW&T §40: more glaring epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: swear by the greatness of Thy majesty gleaningsGWB §43: bow the knee

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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