Prayers and Meditations — §720

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 720 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

ْلِكَ عَلَى وُجُوهِ خَلْقِكَ بَعْدَ إِذْ فَتَحْتَهُ بِعِزِّكَ وَسُلْطانِكَ، وَهَلْ تُسَكِّرُ أَبْصارَ بَرِيَّتِكَ بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَهُمْ إِلى مَشْرِقِ جَمالِكَ وَمَطْلَعِ أَنْوارِ وَجْهِك؟ لا وَعِزَّتِكَ لَيْسَ هذا ظَنِّيْ وَظَنَّ المُقَرَّبِينَ مِنْ عِبادِكَ وَالمُخْلِصِينَ مِنْ بَرِيَّتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ تَعْلَمُ وَتَرَى وَتَسْمَعُ بِأَنَّ عِنْدَ كُلِّ شَجَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Wilt Thou keep back from Thee the stranger whom Thou didst call unto his most exalted Home beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy, or cast away the wretched creature that hath hastened to attain the shores of the ocean of Thy wealth? Wilt Thou shut up the door of Thy grace to the face of Thy creatures after having opened it through the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, or close the eyes of Thy people when Thou hast already commanded them to turn unto the Dayspring of Thy Beauty and the Dawning-Place of the splendors of Thy countenance?

Translation Notes

ْلِكَ

l

literal: for us; to us

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to the face” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وُجُوهِ

w-j-h → “turn” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

بَعْدَ

b-ʿ-d → “after”

literal: after; behind; distance

إِذْ

literal: when; since

فَتَحْتَهُ

f-t-ḥ → “opened”

literal: opening; opening up; conquests; revelations; disclosure

بِعِزِّكَ

ʿ-z-z → “might” Distinctive

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

وَسُلْطانِكَ،

s-l-ṭ → “sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَهَلْ

h-l → “people” Distinctive

literal: interrogative particle; whether

تُسَكِّرُ

s-k-r → “inebriated”

literal: intoxication; drunkenness; agony/stupor

أَبْصارَ

b-ṣ-r → “eyes”

literal: sight; insight; eyes

بَرِيَّتِكَ

b-r-ʾ → “people”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

هَدَيْتَهُمْ

h-d-y → “guidance” Distinctive

literal: guidance; guide; guided

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

مَشْرِقِ

sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

جَمالِكَ

j-m-l → “Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

وَمَطْلَعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dawning-Place”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

أَنْوارِ

n-w-r → “splendors”

literal: type; kind; species

لا

literal: no; not; negation particle

لَيْسَ

literal: is not; to be not

هذا

literal: this; that

ظَنِّيْ

literal: fancy; supposition; vain imagination; idle conjecture

المُقَرَّبِينَ

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

مِنْ

m-n

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

عِبادِكَ

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

وَالمُخْلِصِينَ

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

أَيْ

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

رَبِّ

literal: Lord; lord; divine

تَعْلَمُ

literal: world; universe; the worlds

وَتَرَى

literal: standard; banner; flag; ensign; opinion; counsel; judgment; to see; to view; to perceive

وَتَسْمَعُ

literal: heard, hearkened to, acceptable, worthy of attention

بِأَنَّ

literal: that; those; he; she; it

عِنْدَ

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

كُلِّ

literal: for us; to us

شَجَ

literal: wound

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