Prayers and Meditations — §598

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 598 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لِكَ وَكَعْبَةِ عَطائِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَنِي مَحْرُومًا عَنْ تَرَشُّحَاتِ بَحْرِ جُودِكَ وَلا مَمْنُوعًا عَنْ أَمْطارِ سَحابِ مَرْحَمَتِكَ، أَنَا الَّذِيْ يا إِلهِي تَشَبَّثْتُ بِذَيْلِكَ المُنِيرِ وَتَمَسَّكْتُ بِحَبْلِكَ المُحْكَمِ المَتِينِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَرَزَقْتَنِي وَرَبَّيْتَنِي وَأَطْعَمْتَنِي وَأَغْذَيْتَنِي لِعِرْفانِ مَطْلَعِ آياتِكَ وَمَظْهَرِ بَيِّناتِكَ، فَأَحْمَدُكَ اللَّهُمَّ يا إِلهِي بِما جَعَلْتَنِي فائِزًا بِهذا المَقامِ الأَعْلَى وَهَذِهِ الرُّتْبَةِ العُلْيا، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُعْطِ المُقْتَدِرُ الباذِلُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou beholdest, O my Lord, how I have set myself towards the ocean of Thy grace and the adored sanctuary of Thy favors. Deny me not, I pray Thee, the drops which are sprinkled from the ocean of Thy gifts; neither do Thou withhold from me the outpourings of the clouds of Thy tender mercies. I am he, O my God, that hath clung to the resplendent hem of Thy robe, and taken hold on Thy strong cord that none can sever. I testify that Thou hast created me, and nourished me, and brought me up, and fed me, and sustained me, that I may recognize Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy signs, and the Revealer of Thy clear tokens. I offer unto Thee, therefore, most high praise, O Lord my God, that Thou hast suffered me to attain unto this most sublime station and this most august seat. Thou, truly, art the Great Giver, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Translation Notes

لِكَ

literal: for; for you; for him

وَكَعْبَةِ

k-ʿ-b → “adored sanctuary”

literal: Kaaba; cube/Kaaba; Kaaba/lodestar

عَطائِكَ،

ʿ-ṭ-w → “of Thy favors” Distinctive

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I pray Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; indeed; moment

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تَجْعَلَنِي

j-ʿ-l → “Deny me not” Distinctive

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

مَحْرُومًا

ḥ-r-m → “deprived”

literal: sanctity, inviolability, dignity, honor, respect

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

تَرَشُّحَاتِ

r-sh-ḥ → “drops which are sprinkled”

literal: explanation; commentary; to explain; to open

بَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

جُودِكَ

j-w-d → “bounty”

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وَلا

w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: friend; lord; guardian

مَمْنُوعًا

m-n-ʿ

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

أَمْطارِ

m-ṭ-r → “rain”

literal: rain

سَحابِ

s-ḥ-b → “of the clouds”

literal: cloud; clouds

مَرْحَمَتِكَ،

r-ḥ-m → “of Thy tender mercies”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أَنَا

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

تَشَبَّثْتُ

sh-b-th → “that hath clung”

literal: cling; clinging; clinging/holding fast

بِذَيْلِكَ

dh-y-l → “to the resplendent hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

المُنِيرِ

n-w-r

literal: light; illumination

وَتَمَسَّكْتُ

m-s-k → “and taken hold” Distinctive

literal: hold fast; clinging; cling

بِحَبْلِكَ

ḥ-b-l → “on Thy strong cord”

literal: cord; rope; bond; connection

المُحْكَمِ

ḥ-k-m

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

المَتِينِ،

m-t-n → “mighty”

literal: firm, strong, robust, steadfast

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

أَنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; indeed; moment

خَلَقْتَنِي

kh-l-q → “Thou hast created me”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَرَزَقْتَنِي

r-z-q → “and nourished me”

literal: provide; sustenance; provided

وَرَبَّيْتَنِي

r-b-w → “my Lord” Distinctive

literal: education; divine; Lord

وَأَطْعَمْتَنِي

ṭ-ʿ-m → “food” Distinctive

literal: food; feed; taste

وَأَغْذَيْتَنِي

gh-dh-w → “food” Distinctive

literal: food; nourishment/food; nourish

لِعِرْفانِ

ʿ-r-f → “that I may recognize”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

مَطْلَعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Him Who is the Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

آياتِكَ

ʾ-y-y → “of Thy signs”

literal: sign; verse; miracle; token; verses; signs; proofs

وَمَظْهَرِ

ẓ-h-r → “and the Revealer”

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

بَيِّناتِكَ،

b-y-n → “of Thy clear tokens”

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

فَأَحْمَدُكَ

ḥ-m-d → “therefore, most high praise”

literal: praise; to praise

بِما

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

فائِزًا

f-w-z → “to attain”

literal: benefit, profit, advantage; usefulness; bounty; effusion; grace

بِهذا

h-dh-ʾ → “unto this”

literal: this; that

المَقامِ

q-w-m → “most sublime station”

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الأَعْلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

الرُّتْبَةِ

r-t-b → “station”

literal: rank; station; degree; time; instance

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

المُعْطِ

ʿ-ṭ-y → “the Great Giver”

literal: bounty; gift; bestowal; grace; bountifulness

المُقْتَدِرُ

q-d-r → “the Almighty”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

الباذِلُ

b-dh-l → “the All-Bountiful”

literal: to give; to bestow; to expend

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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