Prayers and Meditations — §833

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 833 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا إِلٓهِي بِمَا أَيَّدْتَنِي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَثَنَائِكَ وَعَرَّفْتَنِي مَشْرِقَ آيَاتِكَ وَجَعَلْتَنِي خَاضِعًا لِرُبُوبِيَّتِكَ وَخَاشِعًا لِأُلُوهِيَّتِكَ وَمُعْتَرِفًا بِمَا نَطَقَ بِهِ لِسَانُ عَظَمَتِكَ. إِلَهِي إِلَهِي عِصْيَانِي أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرِي وَغَفْلَتِي أَهْلَكَتْنِي كُلَّمَا أَتَفَكَّرُ فِي سَوْءِ عَمَلِي وَحُسْنِ عَمَلِكَ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast aided me to remember Thee and to praise Thee, and hast made known unto me Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down before Thy Lordship, and humble myself before Thy Godhead, and to acknowledge that which hath been uttered by the Tongue of Thy grandeur.

Translation Notes

لَكَ

l → “His is”

literal: for; for you; for him

الْحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d → “Praise be”

literal: praise; to praise

يَا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

إِلٓهِي

ʾ-l-h → “O my God”

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

بِمَا

m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

أَيَّدْتَنِي

ʾ-y-d → “hast aided me”

literal: support; strengthen; aid

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

ذِكْرِكَ

dh-k-r → “remember Thee” Distinctive

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

وَثَنَائِكَ

th-n-y → “to praise Thee”

literal: praise; commendation; eulogy; glorification; praise, commendation, eulogy

وَعَرَّفْتَنِي

ʿ-r-f → “hast made known unto me” Distinctive

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

مَشْرِقَ

sh-r-q → “Dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

آيَاتِكَ

ʾ-y-y → “of Thy signs”

literal: sign; verse; miracle; token; verses; signs; proofs

وَجَعَلْتَنِي

j-ʿ-l → “hast caused me” Distinctive

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

خَاضِعًا

kh-ḍ-ʿ → “submissiveness”

literal: humility; submissiveness; lowliness

لِرُبُوبِيَّتِكَ

r-b-b → “before Thy Lordship”

literal: divine; of God; lordly

وَخَاشِعًا

kh-sh-ʿ → “humility” Distinctive

literal: fear of God; awe; reverence; submission

لِأُلُوهِيَّتِكَ

ʾ-l-h → “before Thy Godhead”

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

نَطَقَ

n-ṭ-q → “hath been uttered” Distinctive

literal: to speak; to utter; to pronounce; to articulate

بِهِ

b-h → “by” Distinctive

literal: by it; by him; with it

لِسَانُ

l-s-n → “Tongue”

literal: tongue; language

عَظَمَتِكَ.

ʿ-ẓ-m → “of Thy grandeur” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

عِصْيَانِي

ʿ-ṣ-y

literal: disobey; transgress; rebel

أَنْقَضَ

n-q-ḍ

literal: break; violation; breaking

ظَهْرِي

ẓ-h-r

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest; to display; to reveal; ظهور here means ‘backs’ (plural of ظهر), different semantic use than manifestation

وَغَفْلَتِي

gh-f-l

literal: heedlessness; negligence; inattention

أَهْلَكَتْنِي

h-l-k

literal: destruction; destroy; perish

كُلَّمَا

k-l-l

literal: words; utterances; locutions; word; utterance; speech; sayings; verses

أَتَفَكَّرُ

f-k-r

literal: reflection; reflect; contemplation