Prayers and Meditations — §668

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 668 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَكَ الحَمْدُ يا إِلهِي عَلَى ما قَلَّبْتَ وُجُوهَ عِبادِكَ إِلى يَمينِ عَرْشِ أَلْطافِكَ وَقَدَّسْتَهُمْ عَمَّا دُونَكَ بِسَلْطَنَتِكَ وَإِجْلالِكَ، أَشْهَدُ بِأَنَّ أَمْرَكَ نافِذٌ وَحُكْمَكَ جارٍ وَمَشِيَّتَكَ ثابِتَةٌ وَما أَرَدْتَ هُوَ باقٍ، كُلُّ شَيْءٍ فِي قَبْضَةِ قُدْرَتِكَ أَسِيرٌ، وَكُلٌّ لَدى ظُهُورِ غَنائِكَ فَقِيرٌ.

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast turned the faces of Thy servants towards the right hand of the throne of Thy gifts, and hast caused them to be detached from all else besides Thee, that they may recognize Thy sovereignty and acknowledge Thy glory. I testify to the potency of Thy Cause, the pervasive influence of Thy decree, the immutability of Thy will, the endlessness of Thy purpose. All things lie prisoned within the grasp of Thy might, and the whole creation is destitute when brought face to face with the evidences of Thy wealth.

Translation Notes

لَكَ

l → “His is”

literal: for us; to us

الحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d → “Praise be”

literal: praise; to praise

يا

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

عَلَى

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

قَلَّبْتَ

q-l-b → “hast turned”

literal: heart; hearts; turn

وُجُوهَ

w-j-h → “faces”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

عِبادِكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

يَمينِ

y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

عَرْشِ

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

أَلْطافِكَ

l-ṭ-f → “Thy gifts” Distinctive

literal: kindness; grace; gentleness; benevolence

وَقَدَّسْتَهُمْ

q-d-s → “holy” Distinctive

literal: holiness; holy; sanctified

عَمَّا

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: with them; in their company

دُونَكَ

d-w-n → “all else besides Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

بِسَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَإِجْلالِكَ،

j-l-l → “Thy glory”

literal: majesty; glory; exaltation; magnificence

أَشْهَدُ

sh-h-d → “I testify”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَمْرَكَ

ʾ-m-r → “Thy Cause”

literal: command; cause; matter; affair

نافِذٌ

n-f-dh → “potency”

literal: penetrating, effective; piercing; decisive

وَحُكْمَكَ

ḥ-k-m → “Thy decree”

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

جارٍ

j-r-y → “flow” Distinctive

literal: to neighbor; to adjoin; to dwell near

وَمَشِيَّتَكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thy will”

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

ثابِتَةٌ

th-b-t → “established”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

أَرَدْتَ

r-w-d → “Thy purpose” Distinctive

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

هُوَ

h-w

literal: He; He is

باقٍ،

b-q-y → “eternal”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “All things”

literal: for us; to us

فِي

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

قَبْضَةِ

q-b-ḍ → “grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

قُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أَسِيرٌ،

ʾ-s-r → “captives”

literal: captive; exile; captives

لَدى

l-d-y → “at”

literal: with; in the presence of; from; by

ظُهُورِ

ẓ-h-r → “evidences” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

غَنائِكَ

gh-n-y → “Thy wealth”

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

فَقِيرٌ.

f-q-r → “is destitute”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

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