Prayers and Meditations — §844

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 844 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

كَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ لَمْ تَزَلْ كُنْتَ قادِرًا بِمَظاهِرِ قُدْرَتِكَ لآياتِ قُدْرَتِكَ وَعالِمًا بِمَطالِعِ عِلْمِكَ بِكَلِماتِ عِلْمِكَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ دُونُكَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ لِيُذْكَرَ تِلْقآءَ مَدْيَنِ تَوْحِيْدِكَ وَلا غَيْرُكَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يُوصَفَ فِي ساحَةِ قُدْسِ تَفْرِيدِكَ، فَلَكَ الحَمْدُ يا إِلهِي عَلَى ظُهُورِ مَواهِبِكَ وَعَطائِكَ، فَلَكَ الحَمْدُ يا مَحْبُوبِي عَلَى طُلُوعِ شَمْسِ عِنايَتِكَ وَإِفْضالِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I bear witness, this very moment, to what Thou hast testified for Thine own Self, ere Thou hadst created the heavens and the earth, that Thou art God, and that there is none other God besides Thee. Thou hast from everlasting been potent, through the Manifestations of Thy might, to reveal the signs of Thy power, and Thou hast ever made known, through the Daysprings of Thy knowledge, the words of Thy wisdom. No one besides Thee hath ever been found worthy to be mentioned before the Tabernacle of Thy unity, and none except Thyself hath proved himself capable of being praised within the hallowed court of Thy oneness.

Translation Notes

أَنْتَ

ʾ-n-t → “Thou”

literal: you (masculine singular)

اللَّهُ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

لا

l-ʾ

literal: no; not; negation particle

إِلهَ

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

إِلاَّ

ʾ-kh-r → “end”

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

لَمْ

l-y-s

literal: to reproach; blame; censure

تَزَلْ

z-w-l → “from everlasting”

literal: for us; to us

كُنْتَ

k-w-n → “Thou hast” Distinctive

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

قادِرًا

q-d-r → “potent” Distinctive

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

بِمَظاهِرِ

ẓ-h-r → “through the Manifestations”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

لآياتِ

ʾ-y-y → “to reveal the signs”

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

وَعالِمًا

ʿ-l-m → “Thou hast ever made known” Distinctive

literal: world; universe; the worlds

بِمَطالِعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “through the Daysprings”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

بِكَلِماتِ

k-l-m → “words”

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

وَلَمْ

l-m

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

دُونُكَ

d-w-n → “besides Thee” Distinctive

literal: below; lower than; beneath

مِنْ

m-n

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

شَيْءٍ

sh-y-ʾ → “things”

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

لِيُذْكَرَ

dh-k-r → “to be mentioned” Distinctive

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

تِلْقآءَ

l-q-y → “before”

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

مَدْيَنِ

m-d-n → “city”

literal: city; cities; civilization

تَوْحِيْدِكَ

w-ḥ-d → “of Thy unity”

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

وَلا

w-l-y

literal: friend; lord; guardian

غَيْرُكَ

gh-y-r → “except Thyself”

literal: without; besides; other than; except; other; different

أَحَدٍ

ʾ-ḥ-d → “none”

literal: one; anyone; oneness

حَتَّى

ḥ-t-y

literal: to be necessary, inevitable; determined

يُوصَفَ

w-ṣ-f → “being praised”

literal: to describe, characterize; description

فِي

f-y → “within”

literal: in; in-it; in it

ساحَةِ

s-w-ḥ → “hallowed court”

literal: court; plaza; courtyard; open space; domain; presence

قُدْسِ

q-d-s

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

تَفْرِيدِكَ،

f-r-d → “of Thy oneness”

literal: unique; singular; incomparable

فَلَكَ

f-l-k

literal: ship; ark; orbit; sphere; heaven

الحَمْدُ

ḥ-m-d

literal: praise; to praise

يا

y-ʾ

literal: O; or

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w

literal: highest; most high; supreme

مَواهِبِكَ

w-h-b

literal: gift; grant; bestowal

وَعَطائِكَ،

ʿ-ṭ-w

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

مَحْبُوبِي

ḥ-b-b

literal: love; affection

شَمْسِ

sh-m-s

literal: sun; daystar; manifestation of divine light

عِنايَتِكَ

ʿ-n-y

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

وَإِفْضالِ

f-ḍ-l

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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