Prayers and Meditations — §788
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 788 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
وَكَمْ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ يا إِلهِي كُنْتُ فَرِيْدًا بَيْنَ المُذْنِبِينَ مِنْ عِبادِكَ، وَكَمْ مِنْ لَيالٍ يا مَحْبُوبِي كُنْتُ أَسِيرًا بَيْنَ الغافِلِينَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، وَفِي مَوارِدِ البَأْسآءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ كُنْتُ ناطِقًا بِثَناءِ نَفْسِكَ بَيْنَ سَمائِكَ وَأَرْضِكَ وذاكرًا بِبَدائِعِ ذِكْرِكَ فِي مَلَكُوتِ أَمْرِكَ وَخَلْقِكَ، وَلَوْ أَنَّ كُلَّ ما ظَهَرَ مِنِّيْ لا يَنْبَغِيْ لِسُلْطانِ عِزِّ وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ وَلا يَلِيْقُ لِشَأْنِكَ وَاقْتِدارِكَ،
Shoghi Effendi Translation
How many the days, O my God, which I have spent in utter loneliness with the transgressors amongst Thy servants, and how many the nights, O my Best-Beloved, during which I lay a captive in the hands of the wayward amidst Thy creatures! In the midst of my troubles and tribulations I have continued to celebrate Thy praise before all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and have not ceased to extol Thy wondrous glory in the kingdoms of Thy Revelation and of Thy creation, though all that I have been capable of showing forth hath fallen short of the greatness and the majesty of Thy oneness, and is unworthy of Thine exaltation and of Thine omnipotence.
Translation Notes
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §224: in the daytimegleaningsGWB §109: continuallykitab-i-iqanKIQ §182: the “Dayprayers-and-meditationsP&M §497: His last daytablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: a Daythe-hidden-wordsHW §115: a passing daywill-and-testamentW&T §10: day passeth but thatepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §81: all other days
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §212: thy Godfire-tabletFire §41: after GodgleaningsGWB §26: O ye beloved of Godkitab-i-ahdAhd §10: the divine Testatorkitab-i-iqanKIQ §34: of Truthprayers-and-meditationsP&M §10: He Whom all things worshiptablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: “By the Lordthe-hidden-wordsHW §154: heaven
SE expanded to “in utter loneliness”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §2: the Peerlessfire-tabletFire §17: lonelygleaningsGWB §385: without peer or equalkitab-i-iqanKIQ §248: peerlessprayers-and-meditationsP&M §153: Thy singlenesstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §51: forlornwill-and-testamentW&T §12: Holyepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §146: the One
This form usually rendered as “sinners”, “transgressors” (2 occurrences)
sinners 50% transgressors 50%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §232: I worshipfire-tabletFire §49: AdoredgleaningsGWB §177: of menkitab-i-iqanKIQ §10: ‘Worshipprayers-and-meditationsP&M §811: to worship Theetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a servicewill-and-testamentW&T §10: servant of Thineepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §260: Abdu’-Salam
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §224: in the night seasongleaningsGWB §320: dreamkitab-i-iqanKIQ §279: Many a nightprayers-and-meditationsP&M §167: the nightsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §114: nightkitab-i-iqanKIQ §40: night-seasonepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §129: nightskitab-i-iqanKIQ §162: night season
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §82: with love for Mefire-tabletFire §7: of Thy lovegleaningsGWB §435: loving-kindnesskitab-i-iqanKIQ §252: what devotionprayers-and-meditationsP&M §77: and Thy lovetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved Onethe-hidden-wordsHW §24: thine ownwill-and-testamentW&T §18: ye beloved
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §61: captivesgleaningsGWB §501: exilekitab-i-iqanKIQ §182: lie imprisonedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §119: into captivityepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: We were exiledgleaningsGWB §169: the captiveprayers-and-meditationsP&M §385: as captivegleaningsGWB §718: enslave
SE expanded to “the hands of the wayward”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: wholly unawaregleaningsGWB §130: erredkitab-i-ahdAhd §5: remained heedlesskitab-i-iqanKIQ §279: We knew notprayers-and-meditationsP&M §737: erred so grievouslythe-hidden-wordsHW §122: neglectedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: strayed far from HimgleaningsGWB §33: the erring
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §50: characteristicsfire-tabletFire §40: wert createdgleaningsGWB §669: hath brought into beingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §14: of His creaturesprayers-and-meditationsP&M §841: of such of Thy creaturestablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: created herthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: created youepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §228: that people
SE rendered الغافِلِينَ (al-gháfilín), خَلْقِكَ، (khalqika،), وَفِي (wafí), مَوارِدِ (mawárid), البَأْسآءِ (al-baʾasáʾ), وَالضَّرَّاءِ (wálḍḍarráʾ) as “the hands of the wayward, creatures, In, the, midst, troubles and tribulations”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: joinedgleaningsGWB §491: We suffered in the pastkitab-i-iqanKIQ §101: was inflictedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §647: gaineth admittancewill-and-testamentW&T §49: in the midst of my woesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: the things which have befallengleaningsGWB §137: that have afflictedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §204: heaped
This form usually rendered as “ills”, “troubles”, “trials” (6 occurrences)
SE expanded to “troubles and tribulations”
tribulations 20% hardships 10% distress 10% troubles 10% tribulation 10% trouble 10% ills 10% sufferings 10% adversity 10%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §225: will harmgleaningsGWB §488: the destitution from which We sufferkitab-i-iqanKIQ §279: injuryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §350: my troublestablet-of-ahmadAhmad §16: difficultieswill-and-testamentW&T §35: troublesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §40: doeth Me no harmgleaningsGWB §594: blind
This form usually rendered as “uttering”, “speak”, “uttered” (53 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §11: of Thy praisegleaningsGWB §389: Nextkitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: “Secondaryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §134: to praisewill-and-testamentW&T §39: anotherepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §46: to celebrate His praisegleaningsGWB §646: your praisekitab-i-iqanKIQ §182: the latter
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §90: your own selvesgleaningsGWB §221: Himkitab-i-iqanKIQ §150: no oneprayers-and-meditationsP&M §316: by virtue oftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §37: within thyselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §142: passionwill-and-testamentW&T §44: souls such as theseepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: some one
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §229: the namefire-tabletFire §36: heavenlygleaningsGWB §48: all other nameskitab-i-iqanKIQ §26: “Heavenprayers-and-meditationsP&M §327: inaccessible heightstablet-of-ahmadAhmad §11: My saketablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: Names.’tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §12: divine attributes
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §111: the Landfire-tabletFire §36: a desolate landgleaningsGWB §202: this worldkitab-i-iqanKIQ §141: fieldprayers-and-meditationsP&M §205: and all that are on earthtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §43: the landsthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: the same landepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §189: Holy Land
This form usually rendered as “thou”, “engaged”, “holiest” (7 occurrences)
SE expanded to “have not ceased”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: attributedgleaningsGWB §279: praise ofkitab-i-ahdAhd §3: mentioningkitab-i-iqanKIQ §282: His Nameprayers-and-meditationsP&M §499: to adequately praise Theetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His calltablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §15: all mentionthe-hidden-wordsHW §44: Make mention of Me
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §147: the FirstgleaningsGWB §556: uttermost cornerskitab-i-iqanKIQ §274: marvellousprayers-and-meditationsP&M §852: into the wonders oftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §2: in His Namethe-hidden-wordsHW §65: have createdepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §119: BadigleaningsGWB §683: marvelous
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: their possessionsgleaningsGWB §60: Ruler.”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §253: their allprayers-and-meditationsP&M §389: O Thou Who art my Governortablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §15: the worldsthe-hidden-wordsHW §15: My dominionwill-and-testamentW&T §13: every landepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: Lord of
cause 62% revelation 14% behest 6% faith 4% bidding 4% commandment 3% decree 2% affairs 2% through 2% command 1%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: commandeth youfire-tabletFire §17: CommandgleaningsGWB §532: and the triumph of His Causekitab-i-ahdAhd §11: Willkitab-i-iqanKIQ §213: elseprayers-and-meditationsP&M §774: Thine own Causetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: to Whose commandsthe-hidden-wordsHW §35: of power
This form usually rendered as “hath”, “appeared”, “manifested” (106 occurrences)
hath 44% appeared 16% manifested 11% revealed 8% made 5% have 5% uncovered 5% come 3% defender 2% perpetrated 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §157: It behoovethgleaningsGWB §520: must needskitab-i-ahdAhd §3: that which is meet and seemlyprayers-and-meditationsP&M §375: becomethepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §235: beseemethgleaningsGWB §9: befittinglykitab-i-ahdAhd §13: to do that which is meet and seemlyprayers-and-meditationsP&M §298: would still be unseemly
لِسُلْطانِ
literal: sovereignty; king; authority
This form usually rendered as “king”, “sovereignty”, “sháh” (213 occurrences)
SE expanded to “greatness and the majesty”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: through the power of His sovereigntygleaningsGWB §109: sovereign Lordkitab-i-iqanKIQ §69: Kingdomprayers-and-meditationsP&M §550: Whose sovereigntytablet-of-ahmadAhmad §1: is the Kingthe-hidden-wordsHW §103: celestialwill-and-testamentW&T §7: power of the Crownepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: King of
glory 42% transcendent 22% exalted 10% all-glorious 5% might 4% glorious 4% most 4% majesty 4% glorified 3% almighty 3%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §101: hardgleaningsGWB §682: Almighty and All-Gloriouskitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: magnificenceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §370: the God of strengthtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: Incomparablethe-hidden-wordsHW §107: cherishwill-and-testamentW&T §4: endearedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §183: manifest glory
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: one commonfire-tabletFire §43: By Thine alonenessgleaningsGWB §707: a true believer in the unity of Godkitab-i-ahdAhd §14: singlekitab-i-iqanKIQ §26: of Godprayers-and-meditationsP&M §136: the one and the sametablet-of-ahmadAhmad §2: believers in the Divine Unitytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §51: lone
SE rendered عِزِّ (ʿizz), وَحْدانِيَّتِكَ (waḥdánínatik), يَلِيْقُ (yalíq), لِشَأْنِكَ (lishaʾanik), وَاقْتِدارِكَ، (wáqtidárika،) as “of Thy oneness, unworthy, is, of Thine exaltation, Thine omnipotence”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §120: worthygleaningsGWB §395: is worthykitab-i-ahdAhd §13: best befitprayers-and-meditationsP&M §731: falleth shortthe-hidden-wordsHW §157: have been and will ever be forepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §46: befitting recipientsgleaningsGWB §481: is unworthy ofprayers-and-meditationsP&M §782: however much they fall short of
SE expanded to “of Thine exaltation”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: My rankfire-tabletFire §27: the signsgleaningsGWB §254: stationskitab-i-iqanKIQ §267: understandingprayers-and-meditationsP&M §167: that through themthe-hidden-wordsHW §68: My statewill-and-testamentW&T §15: all earthly thingsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: The changes and chances
power 39% might 31% omnipotence 10% dominion 8% through 3% evidences 2% overpowering 2% greatness 2% hand 2% immensity 2%
