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Prayers and Meditations — §761

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 761 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

وَالأُولی، أَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْئَلُكَ بِنِدائِكَ الأَحْلى وَالكَلِمَةِ العُلْيا أَنْ تُقَرِّبَنِي فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوالِ إِلى فِناءِ بابِكَ وَلا تُبْعِدَنِي عَنْ ظِلِّ رَحْمَتِكَ وَقِبابِ كَرَمِكَ، تَرَانِي يا إِلهِي مُتَمَسِّكًا بِاسْمِكَ الأَقْدَسِ الأَنْوَرِ الأَعَزِّ الأَعْظَمِ العَلِيِّ الأَبْهى وَمُتَشَبِّثًا بِذَيْلٍ تَشَبَّثَ بِهِ مَنْ فِي الآخِرَةِ وَالأُولی، أَللَّهُمَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet Voice and by Thy most exalted Word, to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door, and to suffer me not to be far removed from the shadow of Thy mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

Translation Notes

وَالأُولی،
ʾ-w-l → “this world”

literal: first; beginning; at first; the first; former; possessors of; those who have; masters of

أَللَّهُمَّ
ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

إِنِّي
ʾ-n-n → “I beseech Thee”

literal: I, verily; behold I

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِنِدائِكَ
n-d-y → “by Thy” Distinctive

literal: servants; bondsmen; slaves

الأَحْلى
ḥ-l-w → “most sweet”

literal: sweetest; most sweet; most pleasant

وَالكَلِمَةِ
k-l-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

العُلْيا
ʿ-l-w → “most exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَنْ
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُقَرِّبَنِي
q-r-b → “draw me ever nearer”

literal: nearness; near; bring near

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

كُلِّ
k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

الأَحْوالِ
ḥ-w-l

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “to”

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

فِناءِ
f-n-y → “shall perish” Distinctive

literal: annihilation; perishing; extinction; cessation; the threshold

بابِكَ
b-w-b → “Thy door”

literal: door; gate; opening; chapter; way

وَلا
w-l-y → “Lord” Distinctive

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُبْعِدَنِي
b-ʿ-d → “to be far removed”

literal: after; distance; far

عَنْ
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

ظِلِّ
ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

رَحْمَتِكَ
r-ḥ-m → “Thy mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

وَقِبابِ
q-b-b → “canopy”

literal: canopy; dome; tent; pavilion

كَرَمِكَ،
k-r-m → “Thy bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

تَرَانِي
r-ʾ-y → “Thou seest me”

literal: to see; to perceive; to look; to see, to observe, to behold; to view; vision; dream; sight; ل is prefix; verb تری (you see) is from ر-ا-ي

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مُتَمَسِّكًا
m-s-k → “holding”

literal: musk; to seize; grip; to hold fast; to cling to; to grasp

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “to Thy Name”

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

الأَقْدَسِ
q-d-s → “Most Holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

الأَنْوَرِ
n-w-r → “Most Luminous”

literal: light; illumination

الأَعَزِّ
ʿ-z-z → “Most Mighty”

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

الأَعْظَمِ
ʿ-ẓ-m → “Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

الأَبْهى
b-h-w → “Most Glorious” Distinctive

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

وَمُتَشَبِّثًا
sh-b-th → “and clinging”

literal: to cling to; to grasp; to hold fast

بِذَيْلٍ
dh-y-l → “hem”

literal: hem; skirt; tail; border

بِهِ
b-h → “as”

literal: by it; by him; with it

مَنْ
m-n → “all” Distinctive

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

الآخِرَةِ
ʾ-kh-r → “to come”

literal: the hereafter, the next life, the world to come; last, latter; the next life, the hereafter; delay; postponement

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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