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Prayers and Meditations — §585

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 585 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَسْئَلُكَ يا مَنْ لا تُعْرَفُ بِغَيْرِكَ وَلا تُدْرَكَ بِسِواكَ بِمَظْلُومِيَّةِ مَطْلَعِ أَمْرِكَ بَيْنَ أَراذِلِ خَلْقِكَ وَبِما وَرَدَ عَلَيهِ فِي سَبِيْلِكَ بِأَنْ تَجْعَلَنِيْ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوالِ راضِيًا بِرِضائِكَ وَناظِرًا إِلى أُفُقِ مَشِيَّتِكَ وَمُسْتَقِيمًا عَلَى مَحَبَّتِكَ،

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O Thou Who art inscrutable to all except Thee, and can be comprehended through naught else save Thyself, by the wrongs which He Who is the Dayspring of Thy Cause hath suffered at the hands of the ignoble among Thy creatures, and by what hath befallen Him in Thy path, to grant that I may, at all times, be wholly dissolved in Thee, and fix my gaze upon the horizon of Thy will and be steadfast in Thy love.

Translation Notes

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “I implore”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَنْ
m-n → “Thou Who” Distinctive

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

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُعْرَفُ
ʿ-r-f → “knowledge” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

بِغَيْرِكَ
gh-y-r → “Thee”

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

وَلا
w-l-y

literal: friend; lord; guardian

تُدْرَكَ
d-r-k → “be comprehended” Distinctive

literal: comprehension; perception; perception, comprehension

بِسِواكَ
s-w-y → “naught else save Thyself” Distinctive

literal: other than; besides; except; equal; alike

بِمَظْلُومِيَّةِ
ẓ-l-m → “by the wrongs”

literal: wrongedness, oppression, meekness; state of being wronged or oppressed

مَطْلَعِ
ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

أَمْرِكَ
ʾ-m-r → “of Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

بَيْنَ
b-y-n → “at the hands of” Distinctive

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

أَراذِلِ
r-dh-l → “meanest” Distinctive

literal: lowest; basest; most vile; worst

خَلْقِكَ
kh-l-q → “among Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَبِما
m-w-h → “water” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

وَرَدَ
w-r-d → “hath befallen”

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

عَلَيهِ
ʿ-l-y → “Him” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

فِي
f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

سَبِيْلِكَ
s-b-l → “in Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

بِأَنْ
ʾ-n-n → “to grant that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَجْعَلَنِيْ
j-ʿ-l → “make” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

كُلِّ
k-l-l → “at all”

literal: for us; to us

الأَحْوالِ
ḥ-w-l → “times”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

راضِيًا
r-ḍ-y → “Thy pleasure” Distinctive

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

وَناظِرًا
n-ẓ-r → “and fix my gaze”

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

أُفُقِ
ʾ-f-q → “horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

مَشِيَّتِكَ
sh-y-ʾ → “of Thy will”

literal: thing; something

وَمُسْتَقِيمًا
q-w-m → “and be steadfast”

literal: rising; standing; resurrection; uprising; establishment

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “in” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مَحَبَّتِكَ،
ḥ-b-b → “Thy love”

literal: love; affection

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