Prayers and Meditations — §795

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 795 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

هذا الغُلامِ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ وَبَرِيَّتِكَ، إِذًا صِرْتُ مُتَحَيِّرًا يا إِلهِي وَلَمْ أَدْرِ ما أَفْعَلُ بَيْنَ هؤُلآءِ وَكُلَّما أَصْمُتُ عَنْ بَدائِعِ ذِكْرِكَ يُنْطِقُنِي الرُّوحُ بَيْنَ سَمائِكَ وَأَرْضِكَ، وَكُلَّما أَسْكُنُ يُهَزِّزُنِي ما تَهُبُّ عَنْ يَمِينِ مَشِيَّتِكَ وَإِرادَتِكَ وَأَجِدُ نَفْسِيْ كَالْوَرَقَةِ الَّتِيْ تُحَرِّكُها أَرْياحُ قَضائِكَ وَتَذْهَبُ بِها كَيْفَ تَشاءُ بِأَمْرِكَ وَإِذْنِكَ وَبِما ظَهَرَ مِنِّي يُوقِنُ كُلُّ بَصِيرٍ بِأَنَّ الأَمْرَ لَيْسَ بِيَدِيْ بَلْ بِيَدِكَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ زِمامُ الاخْتِيارِ فِي قَبْضَتِيْ بَلْ فِي قَبْضَتِكَ وَاقْتِدارِكَ، مَعَ ذلِكَ يا إِلهِي اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَيَّ أَهْلُ مَمْلَكَتِكَ وَيُنَزِّلُنَّ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I am bewildered, therefore, O my God, and know not how to act toward them. Every time I hold my peace, and cease to extol Thy wondrous virtues, Thy Spirit impelleth me to cry out before all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth; and every time I am still, the breaths wafted from the right hand of Thy will and purpose pass over me, and stir me up, and I find myself to be as a leaf which lieth at the mercy of the winds of Thy decree, and is carried away whithersoever Thou dost permit or command it. Every man of insight who considereth what hath been revealed by me, will be persuaded that Thy Cause is not in my hands, but in Thy hands, and will recognize that the reins of power are held not in my grasp but in Thy grasp, and are subject to Thy sovereign might. And yet, Thou seest, O my God, how the inhabitants of Thy realm have arrayed themselves against me, and inflict upon me every moment of my life what causeth the realities of Thy chosen ones and trusted ones to tremble.

Translation Notes

هذا

h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; that

الغُلامِ

gh-l-m

literal: youth; boy; servant; the Youth (Bahá’u’lláh)

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

وَبَرِيَّتِكَ،

b-r-ʾ

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

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

صِرْتُ

ṣ-y-r → “interposed themselves” Distinctive

literal: become; became; becomes

مُتَحَيِّرًا

ḥ-y-r → “perplexed”

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O my”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

وَلَمْ

l-m → “not”

literal: did not; has not (negative particle with past tense)

أَدْرِ

d-r-y → “know”

literal: know; in; sea

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

أَفْعَلُ

f-ʿ-l → “act”

literal: do; deed; do/act

بَيْنَ

b-y-n → “toward them” Distinctive

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

هؤُلآءِ

h-ʾ-l → “these”

literal: these

وَكُلَّما

k-l-l → “Every time”

literal: agency; representation; trusteeship; delegated authority; to rely; to trust; to place trust in

أَصْمُتُ

ṣ-m-t → “silent” Distinctive

literal: silent; be silent; silence

عَنْ

ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

بَدائِعِ

b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r

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

يُنْطِقُنِي

n-ṭ-q → “impelleth me to cry out”

literal: speak; speaking; spoke

الرُّوحُ

r-w-ḥ → “Thy Spirit”

literal: to go; to depart; to rest; spirit; soul

سَمائِكَ

s-m-w → “in Thy heaven”

literal: name; heaven; names

وَأَرْضِكَ،

ʾ-r-ḍ → “and on Thy earth”

literal: earth; land; ground; country

أَسْكُنُ

s-k-n → “inmates” Distinctive

literal: foundation; basis; groundwork; founder; establisher; to found; to establish; we have founded

يُهَزِّزُنِي

h-z-z → “transports” Distinctive

literal: shake; shook; trembling

تَهُبُّ

h-b-b → “breaths wafted”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

يَمِينِ

y-m-n → “right hand”

literal: right hand; oath; right side

مَشِيَّتِكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “Thy will”

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

وَإِرادَتِكَ

r-w-d → “and purpose” Distinctive

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

وَأَجِدُ

w-j-d → “I find”

literal: creation; bringing into existence

نَفْسِيْ

n-f-s → “myself”

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

كَالْوَرَقَةِ

w-r-q → “as a leaf”

literal: leaf, page, sheet, parchment, document

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

تُحَرِّكُها

ḥ-r-k → “move”

literal: movement; motion; trembling; activity; حراک is unusual; possible typo or dialectal. Standard Arabic would be حرك or اهتزاز for ‘trembling’

قَضائِكَ

q-ḍ-y → “of Thy decree”

literal: requirement; exigency; what demands or calls for; to require; to necessitate; to demand

وَتَذْهَبُ

dh-h-b → “gold” Distinctive

literal: gold; religion; religion, doctrine

بِها

b-h-w → “All-Glorious” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

كَيْفَ

k-y-f → “how”

literal: how; in what manner

بِأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “command” Distinctive

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

وَإِذْنِكَ

ʾ-dh-n → “by Thy leave”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

وَبِما

m-w-h → “water” Distinctive

literal: water; what; substance, source

ظَهَرَ

ẓ-h-r → “hath been revealed”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

مِنِّي

m-n → “from” Distinctive

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

يُوقِنُ

y-q-n → “will be persuaded”

literal: certainty; certitude; be certain

بَصِيرٍ

b-ṣ-r → “of insight”

literal: sight; insight; discernment; spiritual perception

بِأَنَّ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

لَيْسَ

l-y-s → “is not”

literal: is not; to be not

بِيَدِيْ

y-d-y → “in my hands”

literal: hand; power; action; possession

بَلْ

b-l → “but”

literal: rather; but; rather/nay

يَكُنْ

k-w-n → “are held” Distinctive

literal: is; to be (third person singular present); to be one; oneness; unity

زِمامُ

z-m-m → “reins”

literal: reins; bridle; control; governance

الاخْتِيارِ

kh-y-r → “good” Distinctive

literal: goodwill; benevolence; kindness

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

قَبْضَتِيْ

q-b-ḍ → “my grasp”

literal: grasp; grip; control; seize

وَاقْتِدارِكَ،

q-d-r → “Thy sovereign might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

مَعَ

m-ʿ → “And yet, Thou seest”

literal: with; together with; alongside

ذلِكَ

dh-l-k

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

اجْتَمَعُوا

j-m-ʿ → “all” Distinctive

literal: to gather; to assemble; group; number

عَلَيَّ

ʿ-l-w → “against me” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَهْلُ

ʾ-h-l → “people”

literal: people; inhabitants; family; kin; worthy; deserving; my family; my people; my kin

مَمْلَكَتِكَ

m-l-k → “of Thy realm”

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty

وَيُنَزِّلُنَّ

n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶