Prayers and Meditations — §581

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 581 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا الَّذِيْ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيْ إِلَيْكَ وَأَكُونُ آمِلاً بَدائِعَ فَضْلِكَ وَظُهُوراتِ كَرَمِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِأَنْ لا تُخَيِّبَنِيْ عَنْ بابِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَلا تَدَعَنِي بَيْنَ المُشْرِكينَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، فَيا إِلهِي أَنَا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am he, O my Lord, that hath set his face towards Thee, and fixed his hope on the wonders of Thy grace and the revelations of Thy bounty. I pray Thee that Thou wilt not suffer me to turn away disappointed from the door of Thy mercy, nor abandon me to such of Thy creatures as have repudiated Thy Cause.

Translation Notes

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنَا

ʾ-n → “I” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

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

وَجَّهْتُ

w-j-h → “hath set”

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards Thee” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

وَأَكُونُ

k-w-n → “and fixed” Distinctive

literal: appointed; entrusted; guardian

آمِلاً

m-l-ʾ → “Concourse” Distinctive

literal: hope; expectation; aspiration; desire

بَدائِعَ

b-d-ʿ → “wonders”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَظُهُوراتِ

ẓ-h-r → “revelations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

كَرَمِكَ،

k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I pray Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that Thou wilt”

literal: that; indeed; moment

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُخَيِّبَنِيْ

kh-y-b → “withhold”

literal: to fail, be disappointed; disappointed, frustrated

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

بابِ

b-w-b → “door”

literal: door; gate; chapter; way; manner

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وَلا

w-l-y → “nor” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

تَدَعَنِي

w-d-ʿ → “abandon”

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

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “utterance” Distinctive

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

المُشْرِكينَ

sh-r-k → “infidels”

literal: partner; associate; sharer; companion

مِنْ

m-n → “of”

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

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

فَيا

y-ʾ

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

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h

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

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