Prayers and Meditations — §78

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 78 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

أَرَدْتَهُ مُرَادِيْ وَما أَحْبَبْتَهُ مَحْبُوبِيْ، أَيْ رَبِّ أَنَا العَاصِي وَأَنْتَ الغَافِرُ لَمَّا عَرَفْتُكَ سَرُعْتُ إِلى سَاحَةِ عِزِّ عِنايَتِكَ، أَيْ رَبِّ فَاغْفِرْ لِي جَرِيرَاتِي الَّتِيْ مَنَعَتْنِي عَنِ ا

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am a sinner, O my Lord, and Thou art the Ever-Forgiving. As soon as I recognized Thee, I hastened to attain the exalted court of Thy loving-kindness. Forgive me, O my Lord, my sins which have hindered me from walking in the ways of Thy good-pleasure, and from attaining the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness.

Translation Notes

أَرَدْتَهُ

r-y-d

literal: to will, to intend, to wish, to desire; to want; to intend; to desire

مُرَادِيْ

r-w-d

literal: rebellion; mutiny; revolt

وَما

m-ʾ

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

أَحْبَبْتَهُ

ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

أَيْ

ʾ-y-y → “O my” Distinctive

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

رَبِّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَنَا

ʾ-n → “to”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

العَاصِي

ʿ-ṣ-y → “a sinner”

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

وَأَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

الغَافِرُ

gh-f-r → “art the Ever-Forgiving”

literal: forgiving; forgiveness; forgive

لَمَّا

l-m-ʾ → “When”

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

عَرَفْتُكَ

ʿ-r-f → “I recognized Thee”

literal: knowledge; know; knower

سَرُعْتُ

s-r-ʿ → “I hastened” Distinctive

literal: speed; swiftness; haste

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

سَاحَةِ

s-w-ḥ → “exalted court”

literal: court; plaza; courtyard; open space; domain; presence

عِزِّ

ʿ-z-z

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

عِنايَتِكَ،

ʿ-n-y → “of Thy loving-kindness”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

لِي

ʿ-l-y

literal: for us; to us

جَرِيرَاتِي

j-r-r → “my sins”

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

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

مَنَعَتْنِي

m-n-ʿ → “have hindered me”

literal: forbidden; prevented; deprived

عَنِ

ʿ-n → “from walking in the ways of Thy good-pleasure, and from attaining the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶