Prayers and Meditations — §840

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 840 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

لِكَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مُلْكِكَ كَيْفَ يَعْلُو كَلِماتُ إِثْباتِكَ، فَوَعِزَّتِكَ يا مَحْبُوبِي كُلُّ الْوُجُودِ وُجِدَ لإِعْلآءِ نَصْرِكَ وَانْتِصارِكَ، وَكُلُّ الحُدُوداتِ آياتٌ لِسَلْطَنَتِكَ وَمُنادٍ لاقْتِدارِكَ، تَعالى تَعالى بَدائِعُ قُدْرَتِكَ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ بِحَيْثُ جَعَلْتَ أَدْنى خَلْقِكَ مَطْلَعًا لأَعْلى صِفاتِكَ وَأَحْقَرَ صُنْعِكَ مَحَلاًّ لأَعْظَمِ أَسْمائِكَ، بِحَيْثُ جَعَلْتَ الفَقْرَ مَظْهَرًا لِغَنائِكَ وَالذُّلَّ سَبِيلاً لِعِزِّكَ وَالخَطَأَ سَبَبًا لِغُفْرانِكَ، وَبِهِمْ تُثْبَتُ لِنَفْسِكَ أَسْمائَكَ الحُسْنى وَلِذاتِكَ بَدائِعَ صِفاتِكَ العُلْيا، إِذًا يا إِلهِي لَمَّا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُدْخِلَ كُلَّ الأَشْياءِ فِي سُرادِقِ عِزِّ فَضْلِكَ وَإِفْضالِكَ، وَتُهِبَّ عَلَى كُلِّ الوُجُوْدِ مِنْ أَرْياحِ قَمِيْصِ عِزِّ فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ، وَتَنْظُرَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ بِلَحَظاتِ أَعْيُنِ جُودِكَ وَوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ، أَسْئَلُكَ بِحُبِّكَ الَّذِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thy might beareth me witness, O my Well-Beloved! The entire creation hath been called into being to exalt Thy triumph and to establish Thine ascendancy, and all the bounds that have been set by Thee are but the signs of Thy sovereignty, and proclaim the power of Thy might. How great, how very great, are the revelations of Thy wondrous power in all things! They are such that the lowliest among Thy creatures hath been made by Thee a manifestation of Thy most august attribute, and the most contemptible token of Thy handiwork hath been chosen as a recipient of Thy most mighty name. Poverty, as decreed by Thee, hath been made the means for the revelation of Thy riches, and abasement a path leading to Thy glory, and sinfulness a cause for the exercise of Thy forgiveness. By them Thou hast demonstrated that to Thee belong Thy most excellent titles, and unto Thee pertain the wonders of Thy most exalted attributes.

Translation Notes

لِكَ

literal: for us; to us

لَوْ

l-w

literal: if; would that; O that

لَمْ

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

يَكُنْ

k-w-n → “been”

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

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

مُلْكِكَ

m-l-k

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

كَيْفَ

k-y-f → “How great, how very great”

literal: how; in what manner

كَلِماتُ

k-l-m → “words”

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

فَوَعِزَّتِكَ

ʿ-z-z → “Thy might beareth me witness” Distinctive

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

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

مَحْبُوبِي

ḥ-b-b → “my Well-Beloved” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

كُلُّ

k-l-l → “entire” Distinctive

literal: for us; to us

الْوُجُودِ

w-j-d → “creation”

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

لإِعْلآءِ

ʿ-l-w → “to exalt”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

نَصْرِكَ

n-ṣ-r → “triumph”

literal: aid, help, succor, victory, support

الحُدُوداتِ

ḥ-d-d → “the bounds” Distinctive

literal: iron; sharp, keen, acute

آياتٌ

ʾ-y-y → “are but the signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; proof; sign, verse, miracle, token, indication; ayah; he; him; it

لِسَلْطَنَتِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “of Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

وَمُنادٍ

n-d-y → “and proclaim”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

لاقْتِدارِكَ،

q-d-r → “power of Thy might”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بَدائِعَ

b-d-ʿ → “wonders”

literal: to create; most wondrous; excel

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

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

بِحَيْثُ

ḥ-y-th → “They are such that”

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

جَعَلْتَ

j-ʿ-l → “hath been made” Distinctive

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

أَدْنى

d-n-w → “lowliest”

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

خَلْقِكَ

kh-l-q → “among Thy creatures”

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

مَطْلَعًا

ṭ-l-ʿ → “manifestation” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

صِفاتِكَ

w-ṣ-f → “attribute”

literal: attribute; quality; characteristic

وَأَحْقَرَ

ḥ-q-r → “most contemptible”

literal: to despise, belittle, deem insignificant

صُنْعِكَ

ṣ-n-ʿ → “token of Thy handiwork”

literal: fashioning; making; creation; artifice

مَحَلاًّ

ḥ-l-l → “as a recipient”

literal: place; location; spot

لأَعْظَمِ

ʿ-ẓ-m → “most mighty” Distinctive

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

أَسْمائِكَ،

s-m-w → “name”

literal: name; title; designation

الفَقْرَ

f-q-r → “Poverty”

literal: poor; needy; the poor one; pauper

مَظْهَرًا

ẓ-h-r → “means for the revelation” Distinctive

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

لِغَنائِكَ

gh-n-y → “of Thy riches”

literal: to be independent of; to be in no need of; to dispense with; rich; wealthy; needless

وَالذُّلَّ

dh-l-l → “abasement”

literal: abasement; humiliation; lowliness; to be abased

سَبِيلاً

s-b-l → “path leading”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَالخَطَأَ

kh-ṭ-ʾ → “sins”

literal: error; mistake; fault; transgression; sin

سَبَبًا

s-b-b → “cause”

literal: cause; reason; means; instrument

لِغُفْرانِكَ،

gh-f-r → “forgiveness”

literal: to forgive; forgiveness

وَبِهِمْ

h-m → “all”

literal: by it; by him; with it

تُثْبَتُ

th-b-t → “Thou hast demonstrated”

literal: firm; steadfast; established; fixed

لِنَفْسِكَ

n-f-s → “to Thee belong” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; psyche; person; essence

الحُسْنى

ḥ-s-n

literal: goodness; beauty; excellence; good deed

وَلِذاتِكَ

dh-w-t → “Essence” Distinctive

literal: essence; essence, self; essence/self

إِذًا

ʾ-dh-n

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h

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

لَمَّا

l-m-ʾ

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

أَرَدْتَ

r-w-d

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

أَنْ

ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُدْخِلَ

d-kh-l

literal: enter; entered; entering

سُرادِقِ

s-r-d-q

literal: pavilion; tabernacle; canopy; tent

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

وَتُهِبَّ

h-b-b

literal: blowing; onset; rushing of wind

مِنْ

m-n

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

أَرْياحِ

r-w-ḥ

literal: to throw; to cast; Aramaic/Persian proper name reference; to throw, cast, shoot; to pelt; to shoot

قَمِيْصِ

q-m-ṣ

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

فَرْدانِيَّتِكَ،

f-r-d

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

وَتَنْظُرَ

n-ẓ-r

literal: sight; view; spectacle; appearance

بِلَحَظاتِ

l-ḥ-ẓ

literal: to observe; to consider; to note; observation

أَعْيُنِ

ʿ-y-n

literal: eye; eyes; appointed

جُودِكَ

j-w-d

literal: generosity; bounty; liberality

وَوَحْدانِيَّتِكَ،

w-ḥ-d

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

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

الَّذِ

l-dh-dh

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

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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