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Prayers and Meditations — §632

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 632 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ْقى فِي قَبْضَتِيْ اخْتِيارُ الحَرَكَةِ وَالسُّكُونِ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الَّذِيْ بِاسْمِكَ ظَهَرَ السِّرُّ المَكْنُونُ وَالاسْمُ المَخْزُونُ وَفُكَّ الإِناءُ المَخْتُومُ وَتَعَطَّرَ بِهِ ما كانَ وَما يَكُونُ، أَيْ رَبِّ قَدْ سَرُعَ الظَّمآنُ إِلى كَوْثَرِ إِفْضالِكَ وَأَرادَ المِسْكِينُ الانْغِماسَ فِي بَحْرِ غَنائِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ يا مَحْبُوبَ العالَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou art He, by Whose name the Hidden Secret was divulged, and the Well-Guarded Name was revealed, and the seals of the sealed-up Goblet were opened, shedding thereby its fragrance over all creation, whether of the past or of the future. He who was athirst, O my Lord, hath hasted to attain the living waters of Thy grace, and the wretched creature hath yearned to immerse himself beneath the ocean of Thy riches.

Translation Notes

ْقى
b-q-y

literal: remaining; permanence; remain

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

قَبْضَتِيْ
q-b-ḍ

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

اخْتِيارُ
kh-y-r

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness; good; goodness; benefit; better; best

الحَرَكَةِ
ḥ-r-k

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

وَالسُّكُونِ،
s-k-n

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

إِنَّكَ
ʾ-n-n → “Thou art He” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ
ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “name”

literal: to name, to nominate, to designate, to appoint; name; noun; to name, to appoint, to designate

ظَهَرَ
ẓ-h-r → “was divulged” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

السِّرُّ
s-r-r → “Hidden Secret” Distinctive

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

المَكْنُونُ
k-n-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform

المَخْزُونُ
kh-z-n

literal: to store, to treasure; storehouse, depository, treasury

وَفُكَّ
f-k-k → “opened the seal”

literal: separated; detached; parted

الإِناءُ
ʾ-n-y → “now” Distinctive

literal: vessel; container

المَخْتُومُ
kh-t-m

literal: to seal; to conclude; to end; seal

وَتَعَطَّرَ
ʿ-ṭ-r → “hath derived” Distinctive

literal: perfume, fragrance; perfume; became perfumed, derived fragrance

بِهِ
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

كانَ
k-w-n → “was”

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

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y → “O my” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قَدْ
q-d → “We have been”

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

سَرُعَ
s-r-ʿ → “hasted”

literal: speed; swiftness; haste

الظَّمآنُ
ẓ-m-ʾ

literal: thirsty; thirst

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

كَوْثَرِ
k-w-th-r → “living waters”

literal: abundance; river of paradise; the Kawthar

إِفْضالِكَ
f-ḍ-l → “Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَأَرادَ
r-y-d → “hath yearned” Distinctive

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

المِسْكِينُ
m-s-k → “cleave” Distinctive

literal: stillness, rest, quietude, tranquility

الانْغِماسَ
gh-m-s → “immerse”

literal: immerse; submerged; immersed

بَحْرِ
b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

غَنائِكَ،
gh-n-y → “of Thy riches”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ
ʿ-z-z

literal: glory; might; honor; dignity; power; majesty

يا
y-ʾ

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

مَحْبُوبَ
ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

العالَ
ʿ-y-l

literal: for us; to us

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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