Prayers and Meditations — §574

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 574 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لا يَمْنَعُنِي البَلآءُ عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ وَثَنائِكَ، إِنَّ البَلِيَّةَ فِي حُبِّكَ رَحْمَتُكَ عَلَى خَلْقِكَ وَالرَّزِيَّةَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ نِعْمَتُكَ لأَصْفِيائِكَ، أَشْهَدُ بِأَنَّ البَلآءَ أَضاءَ وَجْهَ البَهآءِ عَنْ مَشْرِقِ البَقآءِ وَزَيَّنَ هَيْكَلَهُ بَيْنَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I swear by Thy glory! Tribulations, however woeful, can never hinder me from remembering Thee or from celebrating Thy praise. Every vexation borne for love of Thee is a token of Thy mercy unto Thy creatures, and every ordeal suffered in Thy path is but a gift from Thee bestowed on Thy chosen ones. I testify that my countenance, which shineth above the Dayspring of eternity, hath been irradiated by adversity, and my body hath been adorned by it before all who are in heaven and all who are on earth.

Translation Notes

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

يَمْنَعُنِي

m-n-ʿ → “hinder”

literal: prevent; prevented; prevention

البَلآءُ

b-l-w → “Tribulations”

literal: affliction; trial; calamity

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from remembering Thee or from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r

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

وَثَنائِكَ،

th-n-y → “celebrating Thy praise”

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

إِنَّ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

حُبِّكَ

ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

رَحْمَتُكَ

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “unto Thy”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَالرَّزِيَّةَ

r-z-y → “trials” Distinctive

literal: calamity; calamities; calamity, misfortune

سَبِيلِكَ

s-b-l → “path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

نِعْمَتُكَ

n-ʿ-m → “gift”

literal: bliss; bounty; grace; comfort; felicity

لأَصْفِيائِكَ،

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَضاءَ

ḍ-w-ʾ → “shineth” Distinctive

literal: to shine; to be illuminated; to light up

وَجْهَ

w-j-h → “countenance” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

البَهآءِ

b-h-w → “glory”

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

مَشْرِقِ

sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

البَقآءِ

b-q-y → “eternity”

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal; permanence; duration; continuance

وَزَيَّنَ

z-y-n → “adorned”

literal: to adorn; ornament; beauty

هَيْكَلَهُ

h-y-k-l → “form”

literal: temple; structure; form; body

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “before” Distinctive

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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5 ¶

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57 ¶

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160 ¶

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‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶