Prayers and Meditations — §778
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 778 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ يا إِلهِي حَمْدًا حَمِدْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ وَلا يَعْرِفُهُ أَحَدٌ دُونَكَ وَلا يُحْصِيْهِ نَفْسٌ سِواكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنْتَ الَّذِيْ عَرَّفْتَنِيْ نَفْسَكَ فِي أَيَّامٍ فِيْها غَفَلَ عِبادُكَ الَّذِيْنَ بِانْتِسابِهِمْ إِلى نَفْسِكَ حَكَمُوا عَلَى مَنْ عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَافْتَخَرُوْا عَلَى الأُمَمِ وَإِنِّيْ يا إِلهِي لَوْ حَكَمْتُ عَلَى شَرْقِ الأَرْضِ وَغَرْبِها وَمَلَكْتُ خَزَائِنَها كُلَّها وَأَنْفَقْتُ فِي سَبِيْلِكَ ما بَلَغْتُ إِلى هذا المَقامِ إِلاَّ بِحَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ، وَلَوْ أَشْكُرُكَ يا إِلهِي بِدَوامِ عِزِّ أَحَدِيَّتِكَ وَبَقاءِ سَلْطَنَتِكَ وَاقْتِدارِكَ لا يُعادِلُ بِذِكْرٍ مِنَ الأَذْكارِ الَّتِيْ عَلَّمْتَنِيْ بِفَضْلِكَ وَأَمَرْتَنِيْ بِأَنْ أَدْعُوْكَ وَأَذْكُرَكَ بِهِ، فَلَمَّا كانَ شَأْنُ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ أَذْكارِكَ هذا فَما مَقامُ مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَكَ وَفَازَ بِلِقائِكَ وَاسْتَقامَ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ؟ وَإِنِّيْ
Shoghi Effendi Translation
Praise be to Thee, therefore, O my God—such praise as Thou didst ascribe to Thine own Self, and which none except Thee can either comprehend or reckon. Thou art He, O my Lord, Who hath made known His own Self unto me, at a time when Thy servants have failed to recognize Thee—servants who, by virtue of the ties that bind them to Thee, have been ruling over all that dwell on earth and have been vaunting themselves over its peoples. Were I, O my God, to exercise from pole to pole supreme dominion over the earth, and were I to be offered all the treasures it containeth, and were I to expend them in Thy path, I would still be powerless to attain unto this station, unless I were assisted and strengthened by Thee. And were I to glorify Thee, O my God, so long as the glory of Thy majesty endureth and the influence of Thy sovereignty and power will last, such a glorification could never be compared with any of the praises which Thou, as a token of Thy grace, hast taught me, and wherewith Thou hast bidden me to extol Thy virtues. If such be the excellence of each one of the praises which Thou hast taught me, how immeasurably greater must be the excellence of the station of the One Who hath known Thee, Who hath entered Thy Presence, and pursued steadfastly the path of Thy Cause!
Translation Notes
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: Praised be GodgleaningsGWB §717: All praise bekitab-i-iqanKIQ §188: Praise be to Godprayers-and-meditationsP&M §181: “Glorytablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: ‘Render thankswill-and-testamentW&T §5: the Lordepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §161: thanksgleaningsGWB §610: Render thanks
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: divine and celestialgleaningsGWB §10: Hiskitab-i-iqanKIQ §229: divinely-revealedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §371: O my Godthe-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestialwill-and-testamentW&T §53: the Holy Writepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: of GodgleaningsGWB §204: her God
SE expanded to “Thine own Self”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §114: over Mine own SelfgleaningsGWB §35: Divine Essencekitab-i-ahdAhd §8: thosekitab-i-iqanKIQ §251: petty-minded soulsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §623: Thine all-glorious Selftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §52: within herselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §18: with Mewill-and-testamentW&T §58: To none
recognize 21% can 16% comprehend 16% know 11% known 11% recognizeth 5% discover 5% perceive 5% acknowledge 5% reveal 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §85: ComprehendgleaningsGWB §313: mysterykitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deedskitab-i-iqanKIQ §224: ofprayers-and-meditationsP&M §744: visualizetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to seethe-hidden-wordsHW §3: of thine own knowledgeepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: His knowledge
SE rendered يُحْصِيْهِ (yuḥṣíh), نَفْسٌ (nafsun), سِواكَ، (siwáka،), رَبِّ (rabb) as “reckon, my Lord”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: stablishedgleaningsGWB §457: and fashioned youkitab-i-iqanKIQ §248: been establishedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §252: any one excepttablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §44: full heightthe-hidden-wordsHW §20: other than Meepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: besides ThyselfgleaningsGWB §358: else besides these
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: is our LordgleaningsGWB §669: of the Lord, their Godkitab-i-iqanKIQ §45: by the Lordprayers-and-meditationsP&M §833: before Thy Lordshiptablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: the All-Gloriousthe-hidden-wordsHW §25: of thy Godwill-and-testamentW&T §9: ‘Lordepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §74: Godhood
SE expanded to “at a time”
This form usually rendered as “waywardness”, “wayward”, “forgetfulness” (22 occurrences)
waywardness 27% wayward 13% forgetfulness 13% strayed 7% careless 7% path 7% turneth 7% hath 7% failed 7% grievously 7%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: for my waywardnessgleaningsGWB §191: negligencekitab-i-ahdAhd §5: remained heedlesskitab-i-iqanKIQ §281: ignoredprayers-and-meditationsP&M §428: our waywardnessthe-hidden-wordsHW §79: most negligentepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §190: heedless onesgleaningsGWB §73: of their heedlessness
This form usually rendered as “doubters”, “dependents”, “generations” (13 occurrences)
This form usually rendered as “virtue” (1 occurrences)
relationship 22% related 15% kinship 11% ascribed 7% charges 7% have 7% attributed 7% accusations 7% impute 7% kindred 7%
SE expanded to “have been ruling”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: upon earthfire-tabletFire §36: a desolate landgleaningsGWB §246: the whole earthprayers-and-meditationsP&M §251: and all that is thereinthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: the same landepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §40: of thefire-tabletFire §3: ongleaningsGWB §636: thereof
This form usually rendered as “have” (1 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §231: pridegleaningsGWB §244: ye boast yourselveskitab-i-iqanKIQ §221: distinctionprayers-and-meditationsP&M §778: have been vauntingthe-hidden-wordsHW §26: Vauntepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: We glory thereingleaningsGWB §174: boastkitab-i-iqanKIQ §205: glory therein
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: Motherfire-tabletFire §13: the peoplesgleaningsGWB §37: kindreds and peopleskitab-i-ahdAhd §16: the peoples and kindredskitab-i-iqanKIQ §152: Imámsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §758: mothersthe-hidden-wordsHW §104: mother’sepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §82: the nations
This form usually rendered as “call” (6 occurrences)
8 occurrences in corpus
This form usually rendered as “east”, “pole” (5 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §30: the effulgencesfire-tabletFire §18: the emblemsgleaningsGWB §666: manifestkitab-i-iqanKIQ §9: shone forth aboveprayers-and-meditationsP&M §733: the effulgent lighttablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §27: Floodingthe-hidden-wordsHW §61: radiantepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §167: manifestations
This form usually rendered as “pole” (1 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: Lord ofgleaningsGWB §174: All-Possessingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §43: the angels descend.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §601: Governortablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: of the Kingdomtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §20: inthe-hidden-wordsHW §2: that thine may bewill-and-testamentW&T §28: righteous
treasuries 34% treasury 18% treasures 14% repositories 9% preserved 5% treasured 5% all 4% lay 4% hidden 4% enshrined 4%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §82: all the treasuresgleaningsGWB §630: treasuredkitab-i-ahdAhd §1: the treasurykitab-i-iqanKIQ §178: His inviolable treasuriesprayers-and-meditationsP&M §547: Treasuries of Thy knowledgethe-hidden-wordsHW §66: storehousesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §188: preservedgleaningsGWB §230: Treasure
This form usually rendered as “hast”, “have”, “had” (5 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: generousfire-tabletFire §34: of seditiongleaningsGWB §296: maliciouslykitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: call to self-sacrificeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §818: have giventhe-hidden-wordsHW §58: thou mayest drawwill-and-testamentW&T §36: their craftepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: We offered up
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §228: attainedfire-tabletFire §11: reachedgleaningsGWB §199: most eloquentkitab-i-ahdAhd §5: consummatekitab-i-iqanKIQ §185: unravelprayers-and-meditationsP&M §239: to reachwill-and-testamentW&T §55: endeavour proclaimepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §68: thou wouldst attain
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §171: Resurrectionfire-tabletFire §48: He hath risen upgleaningsGWB §396: have arisenkitab-i-ahdAhd §11: to be beneath thatkitab-i-iqanKIQ §171: arise toprayers-and-meditationsP&M §829: to standtablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: most exalted Spottablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §44: that place
This form usually rendered as “around”, “power”, “surround” (19 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: nowgleaningsGWB §633: aroundkitab-i-iqanKIQ §51: Reflect thouprayers-and-meditationsP&M §705: under all conditionstablet-of-ahmadAhmad §13: become veilstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: her statethe-hidden-wordsHW §109: now thatwill-and-testamentW&T §6: whilst
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: through the forcegleaningsGWB §597: power to restore the forcekitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: power and strengthprayers-and-meditationsP&M §442: Thy strengththe-hidden-wordsHW §1: of powerwill-and-testamentW&T §53: the powerepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §221: endowed with a potency superiorgleaningsGWB §238: His might
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §73: thanks befire-tabletFire §49: thankgleaningsGWB §319: the thankfulprayers-and-meditationsP&M §606: Thanks be to Theetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: those who are gratefultablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: give thanksthe-hidden-wordsHW §46: and thankfulepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: be thankful
SE expanded to “so long as”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: EverlastinggleaningsGWB §144: secondkitab-i-iqanKIQ §120: eternalprayers-and-meditationsP&M §232: ever since the foundationwill-and-testamentW&T §22: continuallyepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §86: enduregleaningsGWB §189: throughout the eternitykitab-i-iqanKIQ §23: this everlasting
glory 49% transcendent 20% exalted 10% glorified 4% honor 4% all-glorious 3% mighty 3% most 3% almighty 3% might 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: Thy mightfire-tabletFire §43: by Thy banishmentgleaningsGWB §624: whokitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: of powerprayers-and-meditationsP&M §340: Thy might beareth me witnessthe-hidden-wordsHW §125: Pride not yourselveswill-and-testamentW&T §4: endearedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: exalted and glorified be He
eternity 35% immortality 22% everlasting 19% long 5% eternal 5% throughout 3% establishment 3% duration 3% continuance 3% discovered 3%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: hath persistedfire-tabletFire §36: isgleaningsGWB §452: who were madekitab-i-iqanKIQ §10: of everlasting lifeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §326: liveth eternallytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §51: hath remainedthe-hidden-wordsHW §80: yet lingersepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §150: life would have
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: His sovereigntygleaningsGWB §56: andkitab-i-iqanKIQ §117: those Kingsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §218: the power of Thy sovereigntytablet-of-ahmadAhmad §1: is the Kingthe-hidden-wordsHW §98: chiefwill-and-testamentW&T §41: warrantepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §51: kings
power 34% might 32% omnipotence 9% dominion 8% through 4% potency 4% sovereign 4% overpowering 2% strength 2% hand 2%
This form usually rendered as “excelleth”, “can”, “compared” (9 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §125: equalgleaningsGWB §473: and of justiceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §339: assuredly justtablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: rivalthe-hidden-wordsHW §29: be justwill-and-testamentW&T §7: justice and equityepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: Thy justicegleaningsGWB §422: compared
SE expanded to “any of the praises”
remembrance 25% mention 22% praise 20% mentioned 8% recorded 4% describe 4% remember 4% remembering 4% referred 4% words 3%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §130: RemembrancegleaningsGWB §375: to such wordskitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckonedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §186: asked him sayingprayers-and-meditationsP&M §791: their remembrancetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His calltablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: proclaimeththe-hidden-wordsHW §5: name thy name
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §189: but knowfire-tabletFire §3: EnchantergleaningsGWB §110: the learnedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §161: peoples ofprayers-and-meditationsP&M §9: that knowethtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §17: of all the worldstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §13: we have taught theethe-hidden-wordsHW §144: peoples
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §115: Thy gracegleaningsGWB §14: superiorkitab-i-ahdAhd §11: Graciouskitab-i-iqanKIQ §240: so great an outpouringprayers-and-meditationsP&M §322: gracious favorstablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a bountythe-hidden-wordsHW §1: the garmentwill-and-testamentW&T §50: All-Bountiful
This form usually rendered as “call”, “beseech”, “extol” (9 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: My rankgleaningsGWB §629: the assaultskitab-i-iqanKIQ §146: concerningprayers-and-meditationsP&M §199: splendorthe-hidden-wordsHW §68: My stateepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: the peoplegleaningsGWB §254: stationsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §464: unworthy
This form usually rendered as “attained”, “gaineth”, “apprehended” (10 occurrences)
SE expanded to “Who hath entered”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §39: shinethgleaningsGWB §494: narrow retreatskitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: verily attained untoprayers-and-meditationsP&M §598: to attaintablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: hath showeredthe-hidden-wordsHW §111: gazeth uponepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: that attain thereuntogleaningsGWB §648: it shall be well
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: deliveredfire-tabletFire §33: to the Divine PresencegleaningsGWB §397: instilledkitab-i-iqanKIQ §154: of the “Divine Presence”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §155: of my reunion withtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §16: of eternal reunionthe-hidden-wordsHW §97: of Himwill-and-testamentW&T §41: kindling
