Prayers and Meditations — §787

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 787 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

فُهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ كانَ ناظِرًا إِلى شَطْرِ غُفْرانِكَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلى أُفُقِ فَضْلِكَ وَمَواهِبِكَ، وَإِنِّيْ يا إِلهِي مِنْ أَوَّلِ الْيَوْمِ الَّذِيْ خَلَقْتَنِيْ بِأَمْرِكَ وَأَحْيَيْتَنِيْ مِنْ نَسَماتِ جُودِ رَحْمانِيَّتِكَ ما تَوَجَّهْتُ إِلى أَحَدٍ دُونَكَ، وَقُمْتُ فِي مُقابَلَةِ الأَعْدآءِ بِسَلْطَنَتِكَ وَاقْتِدارِكَ وَدَعَوْتُ الكُلَّ إِلى شَاطِئِ بَحْرِ توحِيْدِكَ وَسَمآءِ عِزِّ تَفْرِيْدِكَ، وَما أَرَدْتُ فِي أَيَّامِيْ حِفْظَ نَفْسِيْ مِنْ طُغاةِ خَلْقِكَ بَلْ إِعْلآءِ ذِكْرِكَ بَيْنَ بَرِيَّتِكَ، وَبِذلِكَ وَرَدَ عَلَيَّ ما لا حَمَلَهُ أَحَدٌ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Ever since the day Thou didst create me at Thy bidding, O my God, and didst arouse me through the gentle winds of Thy tender mercies, I have refused to turn to any one except Thee, and have, through the power of Thy sovereignty and Thy might, arisen to face Thine enemies, and have summoned all mankind unto the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness and the heaven of Thine all-glorious unity. I have sought, all my days, not to guard myself from the mischief of the rebellious among Thy creatures, but rather to exalt Thy name amidst Thy people. I have, thereby, suffered what none of Thy creatures hath suffered.

Translation Notes

فُهُ

f-w-h

literal: mouth; mouths; fruits

لَمْ

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يَزَلْ

z-w-l

literal: cease; to cease; decline

كانَ

k-w-n

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

ناظِرًا

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

شَطْرِ

sh-ṭ-r

literal: side, direction; half; to split

غُفْرانِكَ

gh-f-r

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

وَقَلْبُهُ

q-l-b

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مُتَوَجِّهًا

w-j-h → “face” Distinctive

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

أُفُقِ

ʾ-f-q

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَمَواهِبِكَ،

w-h-b

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَإِنِّيْ

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: I, verily; behold I

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h

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

مِنْ

m-n → “since the” Distinctive

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

أَوَّلِ

ʾ-w-l

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

الْيَوْمِ

y-w-m → “day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y

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

خَلَقْتَنِيْ

kh-l-q → “didst create me”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

بِأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “at Thy bidding” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

وَأَحْيَيْتَنِيْ

ḥ-y-y → “life” Distinctive

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

نَسَماتِ

n-s-m → “gentle winds” Distinctive

literal: breeze; gentle wind; fragrance

جُودِ

j-w-d → “of Thy” Distinctive

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

رَحْمانِيَّتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “tender mercies” Distinctive

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

أَحَدٍ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “one”

literal: one; anyone; oneness

دُونَكَ،

d-w-n → “except Thee”

literal: below; lower than; beneath

وَقُمْتُ

q-w-m → “arisen to” Distinctive

literal: station; rank; standing place

فِي

f-y

literal: in; in-it; in it

مُقابَلَةِ

q-b-l

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

الأَعْدآءِ

ʿ-d-w → “Thine enemies”

literal: when; if; whenever; at that time

بِسَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَاقْتِدارِكَ

q-d-r → “and Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَدَعَوْتُ

d-ʿ-w → “and have summoned”

literal: call; invitation; claim

الكُلَّ

k-l-l → “all mankind”

literal: for us; to us

شَاطِئِ

sh-ṭ-ʾ → “shores”

literal: fitting; suitable; becoming

بَحْرِ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

توحِيْدِكَ

w-ḥ-d → “of Thy oneness”

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

وَسَمآءِ

s-m-w → “and the heaven”

literal: heaven; sky

عِزِّ

ʿ-z-z → “of Thine all-glorious” Distinctive

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

تَفْرِيْدِكَ،

f-r-d → “unity” Distinctive

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

وَما

m-ʾ → “not to” Distinctive

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

أَرَدْتُ

r-w-d → “I have sought” Distinctive

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

حِفْظَ

ḥ-f-ẓ → “guard” Distinctive

literal: guardian; preserver; keeper

نَفْسِيْ

n-f-s → “myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

طُغاةِ

ṭ-gh-y → “oppressors”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

بَلْ

b-l → “but rather”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

إِعْلآءِ

ʿ-l-w → “to exalt”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “Thy name” Distinctive

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “amidst”

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

بَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ → “Thy people”

literal: to create; to create anew; to be free from; innocent; free from; clear of; to cure; to heal; to clear

وَبِذلِكَ

dh-l-k → “I have, thereby”

literal: that; this; it; by that

وَرَدَ

w-r-d → “suffered” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

لا

l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

حَمَلَهُ

ḥ-m-l → “hath suffered”

literal: to bear; to endure; to carry; to tolerate

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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291 ¶

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160 ¶

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Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶