Prayers and Meditations — §724

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 724 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

بِجَرِيراتِي العُظْمى وَخَطِيَئاتِي ‌الْكُبْری، وَعِزَّتِكَ قَدْ شَجَّعَتْنِيْ بُحُورُ غُفْرانِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ وَما سَبَقَ مِنْ مُعامَلَتِكَ مَعَ المُخْلِصِينَ مِنْ أَصْفِيائِكَ وَالمُوَحِّدِينَ مِنْ سُفَرائِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَرى أَنَّ ظُهُوراتِ عِنايَتِكَ اجْتَذَبَتْنِيْ وَرَحِيقَ بَيانِكَ أَخَذَنِيْ مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ بِحَيْثُ لا أَرى مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ يُعَرِّفُنِيْ وَيُذَكِّرُنِيْ بِآياتِكَ وَظُهُوراتِكَ وَشُئُوناتِكَ، وَعِزَّتِكَ كُلّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thine Ark, through which the potency of Thy will was manifested and the energizing influences of Thy purpose were revealed, and which saileth on both land and sea through the power of Thy might, not to seize me in my mighty sins and great trespasses. I swear by Thy glory! The waters of Thy forgiveness and Thy mercy have emboldened me, as hath Thy dealing, in bygone ages, with the sincere among Thy chosen ones, and with such of Thy Messengers as have proclaimed Thy oneness.

Translation Notes

بِجَرِيراتِي

j-r-r → “mighty sins”

literal: sin; transgression; crime; that which is drawn or dragged

العُظْمى

ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

وَخَطِيَئاتِي

kh-ṭ-ʾ → “sins”

literal: sin; error; errors

‌الْكُبْری،

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large

وَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “I swear by Thy glory”

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

قَدْ

q-d → “We have been”

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

شَجَّعَتْنِيْ

sh-j-ʿ → “emboldened”

literal: embolden; brave; encourage

بُحُورُ

b-ḥ-r → “waters” Distinctive

literal: sea; ocean

غُفْرانِكَ

gh-f-r → “forgiveness”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

وَرَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وَما

m-ʾ

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

سَبَقَ

s-b-q → “hath surpassed”

literal: to precede; to surpass; to excel

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

مُعامَلَتِكَ

ʿ-m-l → “deeds” Distinctive

literal: deed; deeds; work

مَعَ

m-ʿ → “with”

literal: with; together with; alongside

المُخْلِصِينَ

kh-l-ṣ → “sincere”

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

أَصْفِيائِكَ

ṣ-f-w → “Thy chosen ones”

literal: pure one; chosen one; selected one; elite; purity; clarity; sincerity; pure; sincere

وَالمُوَحِّدِينَ

w-ḥ-d → “one” Distinctive

literal: Divine unity; monotheism; belief in the oneness of God

سُفَرائِكَ،

s-f-r → “Embassy” Distinctive

literal: ambassador; embassy; ambassador, minister

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O”

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “my Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَرى

r-ʾ-y

literal: Persian form from آراستن (ārāstan) ‘to adorn/invest’, root ا-ر-ا, not ر-ء-ي (to see)

أَنَّ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

ظُهُوراتِ

ẓ-h-r → “revealed” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

عِنايَتِكَ

ʿ-n-y

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

اجْتَذَبَتْنِيْ

j-dh-b

literal: attract; attraction; attract, draw

وَرَحِيقَ

r-ḥ-q

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

بَيانِكَ

b-y-n

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

أَخَذَنِيْ

ʾ-kh-dh → “seize” Distinctive

literal: take; take/seize; seize

كُلِّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

الجِهاتِ

j-h-h

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “will” Distinctive

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r

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

يُعَرِّفُنِيْ

ʿ-r-f

literal: knowledge; know; knower

وَيُذَكِّرُنِيْ

dh-k-r

literal: mention; remembrance; mentioned

بِآياتِكَ

ʾ-y-y

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

وَشُئُوناتِكَ،

sh-ʾ-n

literal: affair; concern; matter; aspect; quality; state; affairs; matters; conditions; circumstances; affair, matter, station, rank, dignity; station; rank; importance; matter, affair, concern, dignity, rank

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶