Prayers and Meditations — §198

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 198 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

تَرَى يا إِلهِي بِأَنَّ البَهَاءَ يَذْكرُكَ بَعْدَ الَّذِيْ وَرَدَ عَلَيهِ مِنَ البَلايا ما لا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُحْصِيَهُ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ نَفْسُكَ وَيُثْنِيكَ فِيْ السِّجْنِ بِما أَلْهَمْتَهُ مِنْ بَدائِعِ وَصْفِكَ عَلَى شَأْنٍ ما مَنَعَتْهُ الأَعدآءُ عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ يا مالِكَ الأَسْماءِ لَكَ الحَمْدُ

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Thou dost witness, O my God, how He Who is Thy splendor calleth Thee to remembrance, notwithstanding the manifold troubles that have touched Him, troubles which none except Thee can number. Thou beholdest how, in His prison-house, He recounteth Thy wondrous praises with which Thou didst inspire Him. Such is His fervor that His enemies are powerless to deter Him from mentioning Thee, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names!

Translation Notes

تَرَى

tará r-ʾ-y → “thou dost witness”

literal: see; to see; see/behold

SE expanded to “Thou dost witness”

thou 53% seest 16% beholdest 12% behold 6% wert 2% regard 2% seest?” 2% discover 2% dost 2% art 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §134: seen Me fire-tabletFire §26: seest gleaningsGWB §611: the seen prayers-and-meditationsP&M §199: is in His estimation the-hidden-wordsHW §37: and to mirror forth will-and-testamentW&T §5: behold him epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: Thou seest gleaningsGWB §432: beholding

إِلهِي

ʾilhí ʾ-l-h → “my god”

literal: God; divine; god

god 64% divine 22% god’s 5% lord 4% holy 2% mystic 1% heavenly 1% grace 1% god-given 1% pertaineth 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §245: grace gleaningsGWB §23: God’s,”kitab-i-iqanKIQ §232: divine Being prayers-and-meditationsP&M §205: and the God the-hidden-wordsHW §147: celestial will-and-testamentW&T §53: the Lord epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §168: divine and celestial gleaningsGWB §563: Divine mercy

البَهَاءَ

al-baháʾ b-h-w → “thy splendor”

literal: glory

glory 82% faith 9% splendor 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §120: (bloodmoney)gleaningsGWB §54: inebriation of Thy presence prayers-and-meditationsP&M §841: Thy glory the-hidden-wordsHW §22: effulgent glory will-and-testamentW&T §56: Glory of Glories epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: glory gleaningsGWB §208: its splendor prayers-and-meditationsP&M §760: the Most Glorious

يَذْكرُكَ

yadhkruk dh-k-r → “calleth thee to remembrance” Distinctive

literal: remembrance

This form usually rendered as “remember”, “ṭá”, “express” (11 occurrences)

SE expanded to “calleth Thee to remembrance”

remember 18% ṭá 9% express 9% doth 9% calleth 9% glorified 9% praiseth 9% adequately 9% attempt 9% make 9%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §166: aforementioned gleaningsGWB §13: address kitab-i-ahdAhd §4: reckoned kitab-i-iqanKIQ §196: utterance prayers-and-meditationsP&M §558: attempt to describe tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §6: utter His call tablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: proclaimeth the-hidden-wordsHW §44: Make mention of Me

وَرَدَ

warad w-r-d

literal: entering

SE rendered يَذْكرُكَ (yadhkruk), وَرَدَ (warad), عَلَيهِ (ʿalayh), البَلايا (al-baláyá) as “calleth Thee to remembrance, Him, the manifold troubles”

hath 35% have 23% befell 15% befallen 11% there 4% what 4% suffered 3% things 1% which 1% whatsoever 1%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §193: roses gleaningsGWB §507: hath endured kitab-i-iqanKIQ §244: instance prayers-and-meditationsP&M §428: reaching will-and-testamentW&T §5: dealt a epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §126: touched gleaningsGWB §227: come kitab-i-iqanKIQ §40: came to visit

عَلَيهِ

ʿalayh ʿ-l-y → “upon”

literal: upon; on; exalted

upon 40% against 18% hands 8% - 8% unto 8% over 8% above 5% hath 3% overshadoweth 3% body 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §88: Our gleaningsGWB §635: to aid kitab-i-iqanKIQ §132: glorified is He prayers-and-meditationsP&M §225: the greatness the-hidden-wordsHW §42: reveal unto thee will-and-testamentW&T §59: upon you epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: against gleaningsGWB §395: so high

البَلايا

al-baláyá b-l-w → “the manifold troubles” Distinctive

literal: tribulation; affliction; trial

This form usually rendered as “tribulations”, “tribulation”, “adversities” (53 occurrences)

SE expanded to “the manifold troubles”

tribulations 38% tribulation 15% adversities 12% trials 6% afflictions 6% every 6% manifold 6% woes 6% all 3% ills 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §147: suffered grievously fire-tabletFire §39: calamity gleaningsGWB §640: been subjected kitab-i-iqanKIQ §133: victims prayers-and-meditationsP&M §214: The trials Thou sendest the-hidden-wordsHW §49: My trials will-and-testamentW&T §3: a new trial epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §126: are but a

يَقْدِرُ

yaqdir q-d-r → “can”

literal: power; powerful

can 61% have 9% cannot 4% claim 4% transgress 4% aspire 4% hath 4% able 4% powerless 4%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: the Lord fire-tabletFire §48: Ordainer gleaningsGWB §377: integrity of kitab-i-ahdAhd §12: granted kitab-i-iqanKIQ §208: preeminent power prayers-and-meditationsP&M §134: what had been preordained tablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: are not tablet-of-carmelCarmel §5: of His might

يُحْصِيَهُ

yuḥṣíah ḥ-ṣ-y → “number”

literal: count; enumerate; enumeration

reckon 40% search 20% number 20% measure 20%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §80: have We set down gleaningsGWB §305: search prayers-and-meditationsP&M §45: measure the-hidden-wordsHW §66: recount will-and-testamentW&T §11: boundless epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §159: number gleaningsGWB §423: can reckon prayers-and-meditationsP&M §850: set down

أَحَدٌ

ʾaḥadun ʾ-ḥ-d

literal: one; anyone; oneness

SE rendered يَقْدِرُ (yaqdir), يُحْصِيَهُ (yuḥṣíah), أَحَدٌ (ʾaḥadun), نَفْسُكَ (nafsuk), وَيُثْنِيكَ (wayuthník) as “can, number, Thee, Thou beholdest how”

one 28% any 17% anyone 15% none 13% man 13% neighbor 4% incomparable 2% alone 2% another’s 2% king 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §166: any one gleaningsGWB §485: another’s kitab-i-iqanKIQ §148: Lamp prayers-and-meditationsP&M §841: none of tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §55: dweller the-hidden-wordsHW §69: himself over the other epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: anyone gleaningsGWB §620: neighbor

نَفْسُكَ

nafsuk n-f-s → “thee” Distinctive

literal: self; soul; souls

This form usually rendered as “thyself”, “own”, “self” (222 occurrences)

thyself 28% own 26% self 19% thee 15% soul 3% himself 3% unto 2% inmost 2% spirit 2% most 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §110: mine own hurt gleaningsGWB §619: its very heart kitab-i-ahdAhd §8: those kitab-i-iqanKIQ §114: person of prayers-and-meditationsP&M §332: Thy nature tablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §52: within herself the-hidden-wordsHW §121: pure breath will-and-testamentW&T §44: of the insincere

وَيُثْنِيكَ

wayuthník th-n-y → “praise” Distinctive

literal: praise; praise, commendation

This form usually rendered as “thou” (1 occurrences)

praise 45% extol 11% celebrate 8% virtues 8% second 6% glorify 6% extolling 5% celebrating 5% glory 4% magnify 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §9: glorify gleaningsGWB §117: praise kitab-i-iqanKIQ §151: “Secondary prayers-and-meditationsP&M §770: and praise of Thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §6: to glorify Thee gleaningsGWB §321: created prayers-and-meditationsP&M §375: and extol Thee epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §143: Secondarily

السِّجْنِ

as-sijn s-j-n → “his prison-house”

literal: prison; imprisoned; imprisonment

prison 53% most 19% prison-city 7% dungeon 5% imprisonment 5% prison-house 5% prisoner 2% prison-cell 2% afflictive 2% shut 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §40: imprisonment gleaningsGWB §225: captivity prayers-and-meditationsP&M §94: into prison will-and-testamentW&T §3: incarcerated epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §36: His gleaningsGWB §79: afflictive Prison prayers-and-meditationsP&M §342: hath been exiled will-and-testamentW&T §6: incarceration

أَلْهَمْتَهُ

ʾalhamtah l-h-m → “didst inspire”

literal: inspire

inspiration 76% inspire 12% will 3% divine 3% verses 3% didst 3%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §141: inspiration gleaningsGWB §635: will inspire kitab-i-iqanKIQ §230: verses prayers-and-meditationsP&M §575: Inspire them epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: Thine Inspiration gleaningsGWB §662: inspire prayers-and-meditationsP&M §255: of Thine inspiration gleaningsGWB §691: Divine inspiration

بَدائِعِ

badáʾiʿ b-d-ʿ → “wondrous”

literal: wondrous; wonders

wondrous 43% wonders 41% marvelous 3% having 2% majesty 2% melodious 2% over 2% bountiful 2% evidence 2% matchless 2%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §147: the world gleaningsGWB §477: the wondrous kitab-i-iqanKIQ §180: all the universe prayers-and-meditationsP&M §331: thereof the-hidden-wordsHW §38: from will-and-testamentW&T §2: most wondrous epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §156: universe gleaningsGWB §569: the wonders

وَصْفِكَ

waṣfik w-ṣ-f → “praises”

literal: attributes; description; attribute

praises 33% virtues 33% shall 33%

epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §182: Describing gleaningsGWB §725: extolled kitab-i-iqanKIQ §86: human traits prayers-and-meditationsP&M §830: all attributes epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §13: Attributes gleaningsGWB §357: the attributes kitab-i-iqanKIQ §132: men’s praise prayers-and-meditationsP&M §404: extolling Thy virtues

شَأْنٍ

shaʾanin sh-ʾ-n

literal: state

SE rendered بَدائِعِ (badáʾiʿ), وَصْفِكَ (waṣfik), شَأْنٍ (shaʾanin), مَنَعَتْهُ (manaʿath), الأَعدآءُ (al-ʾaʿdáʾ) as “wondrous, praises, are powerless to deter, His enemies”