Prayers and Meditations — §583

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 583 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ لَمْ تَزَلْ كُنْتَ مُقَدَّسًا عَنْ ذِكْرِ غَيْرِكَ وَمُتَعالِيًا عَنْ وَصْفِ خَلْقِكَ، قَدِ اعْتَرَفَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ بِوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ وَأَقَرَّ مَنْ فِي المُلْكَ بِفَرْدانِيَّتِكَ، لَمْ يَصْعَدْ إِلَيْكَ حقائِقُ العِرْفانِ مِنْ أُوْلِي الإِيقانِ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، وَلا يَعْرُجُ إِلى هَوآءِ قُدْسِكَ جَواهِرُ الذِّكْرِ وَالبَيانِ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ، لأَنَّ العِرْفانَ كانَ وَصْفَ خَلْقِكَ كَيْفَ يَصِلُ إِلَيْكَ، وَالذِّكْرَ وَالبَيانَ يُنْسَبانِ إِلى ع

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Unto Thee be praise, O Lord my God! I testify that Thou art God, and that there is none other God besides Thee. Thou hast from eternity been immeasurably exalted above the praise of any one except Thee, and far above the description of any of Thy creatures. All created things have borne witness to Thy unity, and every dweller in Thy kingdom hath confessed Thy oneness. The essence of the apprehension of the assured among Thy creatures can never attain unto Thee, and the gem-like utterances with which Thy people have praised and glorified Thee can never hope to ascend unto the atmosphere of Thy holiness. For men’s apprehension of Thee is but the apprehension of Thine own creation; how can it reach up to Thee? And all human praise and glorification of Thee pertain unto Thy servants; how can they be deemed worthy of the court of Thy oneness?

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Unto Thee be praise” Distinctive

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

اللَّهُمَّ

ʾ-l-h → “O Lord my God”

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

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “other God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

لَمْ

l-y-s → “not”

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

تَزَلْ

z-w-l → “hast from eternity” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

كُنْتَ

k-w-n → “been” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

مُقَدَّسًا

q-d-s → “immeasurably exalted”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ذِكْرِ

dh-k-r → “praise”

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

غَيْرِكَ

gh-y-r → “except Thee”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

وَمُتَعالِيًا

ʿ-l-w → “and far above” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَصْفِ

w-ṣ-f → “description”

literal: to describe, characterize; description

خَلْقِكَ،

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

قَدِ

q-d → “We have been”

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

اعْتَرَفَ

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “All”

literal: all; every; all, every

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “created things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

بِوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ

w-ḥ-d → “to Thy unity”

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

وَأَقَرَّ

q-r-r → “confessed” Distinctive

literal: stability; firmness; establishment

مَنْ

m-n → “from”

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

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

المُلْكَ

m-l-k → “Thy kingdom”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

بِفَرْدانِيَّتِكَ،

f-r-d → “Thy oneness”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

يَصْعَدْ

ṣ-ʿ-d → “ascend”

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

إِلَيْكَ

ʾ-l-y → “towards” Distinctive

literal: one; a single

حقائِقُ

ḥ-q-q → “essence” Distinctive

literal: truth; right; that which is true or just

أُوْلِي

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

الإِيقانِ

y-q-n

literal: certainty; certitude; conviction; faith

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

يَعْرُجُ

ʿ-r-j → “ascend”

literal: to ascend, climb, mount

هَوآءِ

h-w-y → “atmosphere”

literal: air; atmosphere; void

جَواهِرُ

j-w-h-r → “Essences”

literal: jewel; essence; gem; substance

وَالبَيانِ

b-y-n → “utterances”

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

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “Thy people”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

لأَنَّ

ʾ-n → “For” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

كَيْفَ

k-y-f → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

يَصِلُ

w-ṣ-l → “reach”

literal: to reach; to arrive; to attain; to connect

يُنْسَبانِ

n-s-b → “relationship” Distinctive

literal: relation; relationship; connection; attribution; proportion

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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