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Prayers and Meditations — §771

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 771 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

الأَبْهى وَمُتَشَبِّثًا بِذَيْلٍ تَشَبَّثَ بِهِ مَنْ فِي الآخِرَةِ وَالأُولی، أَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْئَلُكَ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِيْ سَاقَ المُقَرَّبِينَ إِلى سِهامِ قَضائِكَ وَالمُخْلِصِينَ إِلى سُيُوفِ الأَعْداءِ فِي سَبِيلِكَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ لِي مِنْ قَلَمِكَ الأَعْلى ما كتَبْتَهُ ِلأُمَنائِكَ وَأَصْفِيائِكَ، تَرَانِي يا إِلهِي مُتَمَسِّكًا بِاسْمِكَ الأَقْدَسِ الأَنْوَرِ الأَعَزِّ الأَعْظَمِ العَلِيِّ الأَبْهى وَمُتَشَبِّثًا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy countenance which impelled them who are nigh unto Thee to meet the darts of Thy decree, and such as are devoted to Thee to face the swords of Thine enemies in Thy path, to write down for me with Thy most exalted Pen what Thou hast written down for Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones. 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

الأَبْهى
b-h-w → “Glorious”

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

وَمُتَشَبِّثًا
sh-b-th → “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)

فِي
f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

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

وَالأُولی،
ʾ-w-l → “and in the world” Distinctive

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

أَللَّهُمَّ
ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِنِّيْ
ʾ-n-n

literal: I, verily; behold I

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِنُورِ
n-w-r → “by the light”

literal: light; illumination

وَجْهِكَ
w-j-h → “of Thy countenance”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

الَّذِيْ
l-dh-y → “which”

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

سَاقَ
s-w-q → “unbearable cruelty”

literal: leg; shank; to drive; to lead

المُقَرَّبِينَ
q-r-b → “them who are nigh” Distinctive

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

سِهامِ
s-h-m → “darts”

literal: arrow; dart; shaft; portion; share

قَضائِكَ
q-ḍ-y → “of Thy decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

وَالمُخْلِصِينَ
kh-l-ṣ → “and such as are” Distinctive

literal: sincere; devoted; pure one

سُيُوفِ
s-y-f → “swords”

literal: sword

الأَعْداءِ
ʿ-d-w → “of Thine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

سَبِيلِكَ
s-b-l

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

أَنْ
ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لِي
ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: for us; to us

قَلَمِكَ
q-l-m → “Pen”

literal: pen; writing instrument

الأَعْلى
ʿ-l-w → “most exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ما
m-ʾ → “that”

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

كتَبْتَهُ
k-t-b → “Thou hast written”

literal: book; scripture; writing

ِلأُمَنائِكَ
ʾ-m-n → “faith” Distinctive

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

وَأَصْفِيائِكَ،
ṣ-f-w → “and Thy chosen ones”

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

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

literal: O; or

مُتَمَسِّكًا
m-s-k → “holding to”

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

بِاسْمِكَ
s-m-w → “Thy Name”

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

الأَقْدَسِ
q-d-s → “the Most Holy”

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

الأَعَزِّ
ʿ-z-z → “the Most Mighty”

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

الأَعْظَمِ
ʿ-ẓ-m → “the Most Great”

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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268 ¶
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50 ¶
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16 ¶
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291 ¶
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17 ¶
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160 ¶
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59 ¶