Prayers and Meditations — §596

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 596 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحَانَكَ يا مَنْ سَخَّرْتَ مَلأَ الإِنْشاءِ مِنْ حَرَكَةِ قَلَمِكَ الأَعْلَى وَأَظْهَرْتَ لَئالِئَ بَحْرِ العِرْفانِ إِذْ نَطَقَ لِسانُكَ بَيْنَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمآءِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ قُدْرَتَكَ أَحَاطَتِ الكائِناتِ وَرَحْمَتَكَ سَبَقَتِ المُمْكِناتِ، ما عَجَّزَكَ سَطْوَةُ أَهْلِ العالَمِ وَما مَنَعَكَ ضَوْضآءُ الأُمَمِ، أَظْهَرْتَ فِي المُلْكَ ما أَرَدْتَهُ بِسُلْطانِكَ وَحَكَمْتَ بِما تَعَلَّقَ بِهِ مَشِيَّتُكَ، إِنَّكَ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَزَلْ فِي عُلُوِّ القُدْرَةِ وَالاسْتِقْلالِ وَلا تَزالُ فِي سُمُوِّ العَظَمَةِ وَالإِجْلالِ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ ال

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Glory be to Thee, O Thou Who hast, through the movement of Thy most august pen, subdued the concourse of Thy creation, and manifested the pearls of the ocean of Thy wisdom through the words which Thy tongue hath spoken before all who are in heaven and on earth. I testify that Thy might hath encompassed the whole universe, and Thy mercy surpassed all created things. The powers of the earth have never prevailed against Thee, nor hath the tumult of the nations frustrated Thy purpose. Thou hast revealed in Thy realm whatsoever Thou hadst desired through the power of Thy sovereignty, and hast ordained all things according to the good pleasure of Thy will. From eternity Thou hast inhabited the loftiest heights of Thy dominion and of Thine unfettered sovereignty, and wilt unto eternity continue to abide in the inaccessible retreats of Thy majesty and glory.

Translation Notes

سُبْحَانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Glory be to Thee” Distinctive

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَنْ

m-n → “Thou Who” Distinctive

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

سَخَّرْتَ

s-kh-r → “subdued”

literal: to subdue, subject, render submissive; to harness

مَلأَ

m-l-ʾ → “concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الإِنْشاءِ

n-sh-ʾ → “creation”

literal: creation; bringing into existence; establishment; God willing; if God wishes; please God

حَرَكَةِ

ḥ-r-k

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

قَلَمِكَ

q-l-m → “Thy most august pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

وَأَظْهَرْتَ

ẓ-h-r → “manifested”

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

لَئالِئَ

l-ʾ-l → “pearls”

literal: night; darkness

بَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

العِرْفانِ

ʿ-r-f → “wisdom” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

إِذْ

ʾ-dh-dh → “whilst”

literal: when; since

نَطَقَ

n-ṭ-q → “spoken”

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

لِسانُكَ

l-s-n → “tongue”

literal: tongue; language

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “before” Distinctive

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

الأَرْضِ

ʾ-r-ḍ → “earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

وَالسَّمآءِ،

s-m-w → “heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّ

ʾ-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

قُدْرَتَكَ

q-d-r → “Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أَحَاطَتِ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “encompassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

الكائِناتِ

k-w-n → “the whole universe” Distinctive

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

وَرَحْمَتَكَ

r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

سَبَقَتِ

s-b-q → “surpassed”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

المُمْكِناتِ،

m-k-n → “all created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

عَجَّزَكَ

ʿ-j-z → “powerlessness”

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence; أعجاز (roots of trees/extremities) is Pattern II plural, distinct from ‘inability’ forms

سَطْوَةُ

s-ṭ-w → “dominion”

literal: might; force; severity; oppression; tyranny

أَهْلِ

ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

العالَمِ

ʿ-l-m → “earth” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَما

m-ʾ → “that”

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

مَنَعَكَ

m-n-ʿ → “frustrated Thy” Distinctive

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

ضَوْضآءُ

ḍ-w-ḍ → “clamor” Distinctive

literal: noise, tumult, clamor

الأُمَمِ،

ʾ-m-m → “nations”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

المُلْكَ

m-l-k → “Thy realm” Distinctive

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

أَرَدْتَهُ

r-y-d → “Thou hadst desired”

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

بِسُلْطانِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَحَكَمْتَ

ḥ-k-m → “wisdom”

literal: government; rule; governance; wisdom; firm; solid; strengthened

تَعَلَّقَ

ʿ-l-q → “dependent” Distinctive

literal: attachment; connection; relationship

بِهِ

b-h → “of” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

مَشِيَّتُكَ،

sh-y-ʾ → “Thy will”

literal: thing; something

إِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; verily

لَمْ

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

تَزَلْ

z-w-l → “at all times” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

عُلُوِّ

ʿ-l-w → “loftiest heights” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَالاسْتِقْلالِ

q-l-l → “less” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

العَظَمَةِ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “majesty”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وَالإِجْلالِ،

j-l-l → “glory”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

ال

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; family

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘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 ¶