Prayers and Meditations — §842
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 842 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
سُبْحانَكَ سُبْحانَكَ يا مَحْبُوبِي مِنْ أَنْ تُعْرَفَ بِأَعْلى عِرْفانِ المَوْجُوداتِ، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تُوصَفَ بِأَبْهى وَصْفِ المُمْكِناتِ، لأَنَّ مُنْتَهى عِرْفانِ العِبادِ فِي مُنْتَهى ذُرْوَةِ الْقُصْوى لَنْ يَقْدِرَ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ عَنْ حَدِّ الإِنْشآءِ، وَلَنْ يُمْكِنَ أَنْ يَتَعارَجَ عَنْ شَأْنِ الإِمْكانِ وَبِما قُدِّرَ لَهُ مِنْ شُئُونِ القَضآءِ، فَكَيْفَ يَقْدِرُ ما خُلِقَ بِمَشِيَّةِ الإِمْكانِيَّةِ فِي رُتْبَةِ الإِمْكانِ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ إِلى هَوآءِ قُدْسِ عِرْفانِكَ أَوْ يَصِلَ إِلى مَقَرِّ عِزِّ اقْتِدارِكَ،
Shoghi Effendi Translation
Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my Beloved, above the strivings of any of Thy creatures, however learned, to know Thee; exalted, immensely exalted art Thou above every human attempt, no matter how searching, to describe Thee! For the highest thought of men, however deep their contemplation, can never hope to outsoar the limitations imposed upon Thy creation, nor ascend beyond the state of the contingent world, nor break the bounds irrevocably set for it by Thee. How can, then, a thing that hath been created by Thy will that overruleth the whole of creation, a thing that is itself a part of the contingent world, have the power to soar into the holy atmosphere of Thy knowledge, or reach unto the seat of Thy transcendent power?
Translation Notes
سُبْحانَكَ
literal: glory; glory, praise; glory/praise
This form usually rendered as “glorified”, “lauded”, “praised” (181 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §256: Greatfire-tabletFire §14: veiledgleaningsGWB §5: far from Thy glory bekitab-i-iqanKIQ §230: kindnessprayers-and-meditationsP&M §254: Lauded and glorifiedtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: Glorified be He thatthe-hidden-wordsHW §89: from on highwill-and-testamentW&T §42: Gracious God
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: of My lovefire-tabletFire §7: of Thy lovegleaningsGWB §499: them that love Himkitab-i-iqanKIQ §263: of His loveprayers-and-meditationsP&M §268: love for Theetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: the Beloved Onethe-hidden-wordsHW §20: a belovedwill-and-testamentW&T §5: “My foolish loved ones
This form usually rendered as “thou”, “unacquainted”, “make” (21 occurrences)
thou 42% unacquainted 11% make 11% couldst 5% recognition 5% truth 5% appreciate 5% acquaint 5% reveal 5% inscrutable 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §117: understandinggleaningsGWB §117: an understanding of Hiskitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deedskitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: obscureprayers-and-meditationsP&M §601: testifiethtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to seethe-hidden-wordsHW §3: through the knowledgeepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §102: the fragrance
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: that samefire-tabletFire §42: highestgleaningsGWB §117: ineffablekitab-i-iqanKIQ §268: which He hath revealedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §775: How loftytablet-of-carmelCarmel §2: raising highthe-hidden-wordsHW §23: Noblewill-and-testamentW&T §17: the Exalted One
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: creationfire-tabletFire §49: thou canst breathegleaningsGWB §234: that perceiveth from theekitab-i-iqanKIQ §78: Notwithstanding all thatprayers-and-meditationsP&M §168: may perceivetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: they may findthe-hidden-wordsHW §16: will be in vainwill-and-testamentW&T §8: With
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: describedgleaningsGWB §669: the highest expressions of praisekitab-i-iqanKIQ §109: unfold their mysteryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §315: gloryepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §5: the descriptiongleaningsGWB §689: describe its splendorkitab-i-iqanKIQ §32: be magnifiedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §132: Thine attributes
SE rendered سُبْحَانَكَ (subḥának), تُوصَفَ (túṣaf), بِأَبْهى (biʾabhى), وَصْفِ (waṣf), المُمْكِناتِ، (al-mumkináti،) as “exalted, describe, human”
all-glorious 72% most 8% abhá 6% glory 6% effulgent 3% everlasting 1% resplendent 1% glorious 1% what 1%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §23: Abháfire-tabletFire §48: BahágleaningsGWB §311: resplendentkitab-i-iqanKIQ §274: splendourprayers-and-meditationsP&M §790: and what the profoundestthe-hidden-wordsHW §1: THE GLORYepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §36: honoredgleaningsGWB §234: and the brightness of His light
الإِمْكانِ
literal: possibility; possible; possible things
This form usually rendered as “all”, “world”, “entire” (61 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: canfire-tabletFire §20: every creaturegleaningsGWB §595: ascendancy and mightkitab-i-iqanKIQ §149: thingsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §842: every humanthe-hidden-wordsHW §75: realm of the infinitewill-and-testamentW&T §23: earthlyepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §52: its peoples
beyond 37% highest 15% immeasurable 7% end 7% divine 7% ended 7% supreme 7% muntaha 4% sadratu’l-muntahá 4% may 4%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §129: until they ended infire-tabletFire §11: lowest depthgleaningsGWB §134: will everlastingly succeed each otherkitab-i-ahdAhd §7: categoricallykitab-i-iqanKIQ §148: the utmost degreeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §146: the profoundest thinkerstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §24: them that comprehendthe-hidden-wordsHW §96: boundless
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §29: of the servants of Godfire-tabletFire §50: all the servantsgleaningsGWB §484: everykitab-i-iqanKIQ §10: worshippedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §359: are they whotablet-of-ahmadAhmad §15: a servicewill-and-testamentW&T §35: meepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §84: cloisters
SE rendered العِبادِ (al-ʿibád), مُنْتَهى (muntahى), ذُرْوَةِ (dhurwah) as “men, the”
SE rendered ذُرْوَةِ (dhurwah), الْقُصْوى (al-quṣwى), يَقْدِرَ (yaqdir), يَصْعَدَ (yaṣʿad) as “the, outsoar”
This form usually rendered as “ascend”, “scale”, “reach” (11 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §48: his ascentgleaningsGWB §312: attainethprayers-and-meditationsP&M §845: to scaletablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: shedtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §32: ascend unto thethe-hidden-wordsHW §23: Rise thenwill-and-testamentW&T §34: raisedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §187: are raised
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §93: of steelgleaningsGWB §468: gradekitab-i-iqanKIQ §174: discerningprayers-and-meditationsP&M §133: steeledtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §5: ordinancestablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §18: worldly limitationsthe-hidden-wordsHW §39: in My statutesepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §92: the bounds that have been set
الإِنْشآءِ،
literal: creation; creation, origination; creation/origination
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §155: of creationgleaningsGWB §617: creation,”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §238: as fashionedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §847: the kingdom of creationtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §22: belowwill-and-testamentW&T §7: erectedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: creationgleaningsGWB §2: by Thee and are but the evidences of Thine handiwork
such 41% station 18% state 8% glory 8% honor 8% through 5% excellence 5% distinction 3% neither 3% people 3%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §258: regardingfire-tabletFire §27: the signsgleaningsGWB §202: all that pertaineth tokitab-i-iqanKIQ §80: thingsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §725: and of Thy testimoniesthe-hidden-wordsHW §68: My statewill-and-testamentW&T §15: all earthly thingsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: My rank
SE rendered قُدِّرَ (quddir), شُئُونِ (shuʾún), القَضآءِ، (al-qaḍáʾi،), فَكَيْفَ (fakayf), يَقْدِرُ (yaqdir), خُلِقَ (khuliq) as “set, How, have, created”
decree 36% irrevocable 18% god’s 9% what 9% destiny 5% divine 5% decreed 5% ruling 5% tribulations 5% judgment 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: been fulfilledfire-tabletFire §29: of destinygleaningsGWB §257: preordainedkitab-i-ahdAhd §10: is endedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §286: such will it beprayers-and-meditationsP&M §24: hath destinedthe-hidden-wordsHW §46: for that which I ordainwill-and-testamentW&T §39: exigencies
This form usually rendered as “creation”, “creatures”, “hath” (213 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §223: the created thingsfire-tabletFire §40: wert createdgleaningsGWB §449: Who hath created theekitab-i-iqanKIQ §121: the first creationprayers-and-meditationsP&M §127: the Makertablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §54: created herthe-hidden-wordsHW §83: creatorsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §6: hast created me
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §144: pleaseth TheegleaningsGWB §408: may please to bestowkitab-i-iqanKIQ §48: whomsoever He willethprayers-and-meditationsP&M §245: willesttablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: desirethtablet-of-carmelCarmel §2: created things.’the-hidden-wordsHW §49: everythingwill-and-testamentW&T §5: this one, unworthy though he be
state 19% station 19% rank 19% estate 6% hypothesis 6% revelation 6% instance 6% stations 6% seat 6% part 6%
atmosphere 48% heights 16% immensity 6% heavens 6% heaven 6% desire 3% firmament 3% limitless 3% precincts 3% sublimities 3%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §135: thy passionsfire-tabletFire §21: passiongleaningsGWB §187: the things of the fleshkitab-i-iqanKIQ §174: realmprayers-and-meditationsP&M §211: of selftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §23: spherethe-hidden-wordsHW §127: OF PASSIONwill-and-testamentW&T §15: self
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: sanctifygleaningsGWB §126: Onekitab-i-iqanKIQ §170: were deliveredprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: of Thy Divinetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §15: hath exaltedthe-hidden-wordsHW §153: pure and holywill-and-testamentW&T §3: Hisepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: the Holy City
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §228: will have been brought face to face withfire-tabletFire §2: of Thy reuniongleaningsGWB §233: of reunionkitab-i-ahdAhd §10: of My presencekitab-i-iqanKIQ §68: partakeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §601: can never hope to pass beyondtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §18: reachedthe-hidden-wordsHW §97: the presence of
seat 34% habitation 11% spot 11% abide 11% place 9% retreats 6% court 6% throne 4% established 4% confessed 4%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §234: of acknowledgmentgleaningsGWB §285: habitationkitab-i-ahdAhd §6: singled outkitab-i-iqanKIQ §229: dwellprayers-and-meditationsP&M §333: so establishedtablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: hath been made the seat ofthe-hidden-wordsHW §104: destinedwill-and-testamentW&T §8: quietness
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 §206: blessedgleaningsGWB §640: of all temporal honor and worldly elevationkitab-i-iqanKIQ §130: of celestial gloryprayers-and-meditationsP&M §447: authoritytablet-of-ahmadAhmad §4: Incomparablethe-hidden-wordsHW §125: in your glorywill-and-testamentW&T §38: dearly belovedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: By Thy glory
