Prayers and Meditations — §791

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 791 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

صِرْتُ مُتَحَيِّرًا فِي مَظاهِرِ صُنْعِكَ وَمَطالِعِ قُدْرَتِكَ وَأُشاهِدُ نَفْسِي عاجِزًا عَنْ عِرْفانِ أَدْنى آيَتِكَ وَكَيْفَ عِرْفانِ نَفْسِكَ، إِذًا أَسْئَلُكَ يا إِلهِي بِاسْمِكَ الَّذِيْ بِهِ طَيَّرْتَ العاشِقِينَ فِي هَواءِ إِرادَتِكَ وَهَدَيْتَ بِهِ المُشْتاقِينَ إِلى رِضْوانِ قُرْبِكَ وَوِصَالِكَ، بِأَنْ تُهِبَّ مِنْ رِضْوانِ عِنايَتِكَ رَوائِحَ الاطْمِئْنانِ عَلَى المُضْطَرِّيْنَ مِنْ أَحِبَّائِكَ فِي هذِهِ الأَيَّامِ الَّتِيْ أَحاطَتْهُمْ أَرْياحُ الافْتِتانِ مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ، بِحَيْثُ اضْطَرَبَتِ النُّفُوسُ مِنْ سَطْوَةِ قَضائِكَ وَتَزَلْزَلَتْ أَرْكانُ الوُجُودِ عَمَّا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سَمآءِ تَقْدِيْرِكَ، وَبَلَغَ اضْطِرابُهُمْ إِلى مَقامٍ يَكادُ أَنْ يَخْمُدَ فِي مِشْكاةِ قُلُوبِهِمْ سِراجُ حُبِّكَ وَذِكْرِكَ، وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ المُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى ما تَشاءُ وَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الكَرِيْمُ، فَيا إِلهِي وَسَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I swear by Thy glory, O Beloved of my soul! I am bewildered when I contemplate the tokens of Thy handiwork, and the evidences of Thy might, and find myself completely unable to unravel the mystery of the least of Thy signs, how much more to apprehend Thine own Self. I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast caused all such as love Thee to soar in the atmosphere of Thy will, and hast guided all them that yearn after Thee into the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to waft from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness the fragrance of certainty upon the needy among Thy loved ones, in these days when the tempests of trials have compassed them on every side, and so grievously assailed them that the souls of men have been troubled and the foundations of all beings have trembled at what hath been sent down unto them from the heaven of Thine irrevocable Purpose. They were so shaken that the lamp of their love for Thee and of their remembrance of Thee was ready to be extinguished in the recess of their hearts. Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, in truth, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Translation Notes

صِرْتُ

ṣ-y-r

literal: become; became; becomes

مُتَحَيِّرًا

ḥ-y-r → “perplexed”

literal: bewildered; perplexed; confused; astounded; amazed; bewilderment; perplexity; wonder; amazement

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

مَظاهِرِ

ẓ-h-r → “tokens of Thy handiwork” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

صُنْعِكَ

ṣ-n-ʿ

literal: fashioning; making; creation; artifice

وَمَطالِعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “Dayspring”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

وَأُشاهِدُ

sh-h-d → “witness” Distinctive

literal: witness; observation; witnessed

نَفْسِي

n-f-s → “myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

عاجِزًا

ʿ-j-z → “unable” Distinctive

literal: to be unable; to fail; to be exhausted; impotence

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “to”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

عِرْفانِ

ʿ-r-f → “knowledge”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

أَدْنى

d-n-w → “least”

literal: this world; earthly life; temporal realm; lowest; base; mean; of little account; to know; to be acquainted with

آيَتِكَ

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: sign; signs; which

وَكَيْفَ

k-y-f → “how much more to apprehend”

literal: how; in what manner

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “beseech”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

بِاسْمِكَ

s-m-w → “by Thy Name”

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

الَّذِيْ

l-dh-y → “which”

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

بِهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

طَيَّرْتَ

ṭ-y-r → “soar” Distinctive

literal: bird; fly; flight

العاشِقِينَ

ʿ-sh-q → “all such as love Thee” Distinctive

literal: lover; love; lovers

هَواءِ

h-w-y → “atmosphere”

literal: air; atmosphere; void

إِرادَتِكَ

r-w-d → “Thy will”

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

وَهَدَيْتَ

h-d-y → “guided”

literal: guidance; guide; guided

المُشْتاقِينَ

sh-w-q → “yearn after Thee” Distinctive

literal: to encourage; to incite; yearning; enthusiasm

إِلى

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

رِضْوانِ

r-ḍ-w → “Paradise of Thy nearness”

literal: good-pleasure, consent, satisfaction; satisfaction; pleasure; approval; contentment

قُرْبِكَ

q-r-b

literal: place of sacrifice; altar

وَوِصَالِكَ،

w-ṣ-l → “and Thy presence”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “to” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُهِبَّ

h-b-b → “wafted”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

مِنْ

m-n → “from”

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

عِنايَتِكَ

ʿ-n-y

literal: to concern; to mean; to turn away from; bounty; loving-kindness; grace; divine care; attention; meaning; significance; inner sense

رَوائِحَ

r-w-ḥ → “fragrance”

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

الاطْمِئْنانِ

ṭ-m-n → “confidence”

literal: to be at peace; to be reassured; to settle down

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “upon” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

المُضْطَرِّيْنَ

ḍ-r-r → “needy”

literal: harm; hardship; affliction

أَحِبَّائِكَ

ḥ-b-b → “Thy loved ones”

literal: love; affection

هذِهِ

h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; this (masculine); this (feminine)

الأَيَّامِ

y-w-m → “days”

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

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

أَحاطَتْهُمْ

ḥ-w-ṭ → “compassed”

literal: to encompass, surround, envelop, embrace

الافْتِتانِ

f-t-n

literal: to give a legal judgment; to decree; to issue a fatwa

كُلِّ

k-l-l

literal: for us; to us

الجِهاتِ،

j-h-h → “on every side”

literal: direction; aspect; side; regard

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “that”

literal: where; in which; inasmuch as; in such wise that; whereby; in that; respect, aspect

اضْطَرَبَتِ

ḍ-r-b → “troubled” Distinctive

literal: to be disturbed; to tremble; to be troubled; to be shaken

سَطْوَةِ

s-ṭ-w → “dominion”

literal: might; force; severity; oppression; tyranny

قَضائِكَ

q-ḍ-y

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for

وَتَزَلْزَلَتْ

z-l-z-l → “dismayed” Distinctive

literal: to shake; to quake; to be shaken; to be moved

أَرْكانُ

r-k-n → “foundations”

literal: pillar; cornerstone; support; fundamental element; limb; member

الوُجُودِ

w-j-d → “of all beings”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

نُزِّلَ

n-z-l → “sent down”

literal: to descend, to be revealed

عَلَيْهِمْ

ʿ-l-y → “unto them” Distinctive

literal: exalted; highest; supreme; most high; upon you; on; over; Ali (name); upon

تَقْدِيْرِكَ،

q-d-r → “Thine irrevocable Purpose”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَبَلَغَ

b-l-gh

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

مَقامٍ

q-w-m

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

يَكادُ

k-w-d → “had almost” Distinctive

literal: almost; to almost; almost, nearly

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

يَخْمُدَ

kh-m-d → “extinguished”

literal: to extinguish, quench, suppress

مِشْكاةِ

sh-k-w → “complain” Distinctive

literal: niche; chamber; recess

قُلُوبِهِمْ

q-l-b → “their hearts”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

سِراجُ

s-r-j → “lamp”

literal: lamp; light; illuminator

وَذِكْرِكَ،

dh-k-r → “their remembrance”

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

وَإِنَّكَ

ʾ-n-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

ما

m-ʾ

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

تَشاءُ

sh-y-ʾ → “pleaseth Thee”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

الغَفُورُ

gh-f-r → “Ever-Forgiving”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

الكَرِيْمُ،

k-r-m → “Most Generous”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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Gleanings

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A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

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16 ¶

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291 ¶

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17 ¶

Tablet of Carmel

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Revealed during a visit to Mount Carmel, this Tablet addresses the mountain directly and prophesies its future as the world spiritual and administrative center of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi designated it one of three foundational Charters. Its imagery of the Ark and the dwellers therein prefigures the Universal House of Justice.

5 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

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Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

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Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

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‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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 ¶