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Prayers and Meditations — §94

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 94 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

إِذَا شَرِبَ رَحِيقَ الوِصالِ ابْتُلِيَ بِالسَّجْنِ بِما آمَنَ بِكَ وَبِآياتِكَ، وَكانَ يَخْدُمُ جَمالَكَ إِلى أَنْ وَرَدَ فِيْ هذا السِّجْنِ الأَعْظَمِ، إِذًا يا إِلهِي فَدَيْنَاهُ فِيْ سَبِيلِكَ، وَتَرَى ما وَرَدَ عَلَى أَحِبَّائِكَ فِيْ هذِهِ المُصِيبَةِ الَّتِيْ فِيها ناحَتِ القَبائِلُ وَمِنْ وَرائِها أَهْلُ الْمَلأِ الأَعْلی، أَيْ رَبِّ أَسْئَلُكَ بِهِ وَغُرْبَتِهِ وَسَجْنِهِ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

At his birth he was afflicted through his separation from Thee, according to what had been ordained for him through Thine irrevocable decree. And when he had quaffed the cup of reunion with Thee, he was cast into prison for having believed in Thee and in Thy signs. He continued to serve Thy Beauty until he entered into this Most Great Prison. Thereupon I offered him up, O my God, as a sacrifice in Thy path. Thou well knowest what they who love Thee have endured through this trial that hath caused the kindreds of the earth to wail, and beyond them the Concourse on high to lament.

Translation Notes

إِذَا
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

شَرِبَ
sh-r-b → “quaffed”

literal: to drink; to imbibe

رَحِيقَ
r-ḥ-q → “wine”

literal: wine; pure drink; choice beverage (metaphorical for divine knowledge and love)

الوِصالِ
w-ṣ-l → “of reunion”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

ابْتُلِيَ
b-l-w → “tribulations” Distinctive

literal: trial; affliction; tribulation; testing

بِالسَّجْنِ
s-j-n → “into prison”

literal: prison, imprisonment; to imprison

بِما
m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

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

آمَنَ
ʾ-m-n → “believed”

literal: to believe; to have faith; to be secure; trust; trustworthiness; covenant; deposit; believer, faithful

وَبِآياتِكَ،
ʾ-y-y → “and in Thy signs”

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

وَكانَ
k-w-n → “was”

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

يَخْدُمُ
kh-d-m → “continued to serve”

literal: service; servitude; to serve

جَمالَكَ
j-m-l → “Thy Beauty”

literal: beauty; comeliness

إِلى
ʾ-l-y → “until”

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

أَنْ
ʾ-n

literal: that; those; he; she; it

وَرَدَ
w-r-d → “entered” Distinctive

literal: to enter, to come, to befall, to arrive

فِيْ
f-y → “in”

literal: in it; in them

هذا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الأَعْظَمِ،
ʿ-ẓ-m

literal: greatest; supreme; mightiest

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; vocative particle; oh (vocative particle)

إِلهِي
ʾ-l-h → “my God”

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

فَدَيْنَاهُ
f-d-y → “I offered him up”

literal: sacrifice; ransom; sacrificed

سَبِيلِكَ،
s-b-l → “Thy path”

literal: path; way; road; cause; means

وَتَرَى
r-ʾ-y → “Thou well knowest” Distinctive

literal: standard; banner; flag; ensign; opinion; counsel; judgment; to see; to view; to perceive

عَلَى
ʿ-l-w → “they” Distinctive

literal: highest; most high; supreme

أَحِبَّائِكَ
ḥ-b-b → “who love Thee” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

المُصِيبَةِ
ṣ-w-b → “trials”

literal: calamity; misfortune; disaster; affliction

الَّتِيْ
ʾ-l-l → “that” Distinctive

literal: who; which/that; which

ناحَتِ
n-w-ḥ → “wail”

literal: to wail; to lament; lamentation

القَبائِلُ
q-b-l → “the kindreds of the”

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

وَمِنْ
m-n → “from”

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

وَرائِها
w-r-ʾ → “them”

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

أَهْلُ
ʾ-h-l → “people”

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

الْمَلأِ
m-l-ʾ → “the Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

أَيْ
ʾ-y-y

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

رَبِّ
r-b-b

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

أَسْئَلُكَ
s-ʾ-l

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِهِ
b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

وَغُرْبَتِهِ
gh-r-b

literal: west; sunset; place of setting

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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