Prayers and Meditations — §856
Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 856 of 858.
Source (Arabic)
أَنْ أَكُونَ عَلَى شَأْنِ الَّذِيْ لَوْ يَحْضُرْنَ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ طَلَعاتُ اللَّواتِي كُنَّ فِي غُرَفاتِ عِصْمَتِكَ، وَسَتَرْتَ جَمالَهُنَّ عَنْ مُلاحَظَةِ المَوْجُوداتِ وَطَهَّرْتَ وُجُوهَهُنَّ عَنْ مُشاهَدَةِ المُمْكِناتِ وَيَظْهَرْنَ بِظُهُوراتِ أَنْوارِ جَمالِكَ المَنِيْعِ، لا أَلْتَفِتُ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَلا أَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْهِنَّ إِلاَّ لِمُلاحَظَةِ أَسْرارِ صُنْعِكَ الَّذِيْ تَحَيَّرَتْ فِيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ المُقَرَّبِينَ وَكاعَتْ أَنْفُسُ العارِفِينَ، وَأَرْتَقِي بِحَوْلِكَ وَقُوَّتِكَ إِلى مَقامِ الَّذِيْ لَنْ يَشْغَلَنِيْ شَأْنٌ عَنْ شُئُوناتِ عِزِّ قَيُّومِيَّتِكَ وَلا تَحْجُبُنِيْ هَنْدَسِيَّاتُ المُلْكيَّةِ عَنْ ظُهُوراتِ قُدْسِ أُلُوْهِيَّتِكَ، سُبْحَانَكَ سُبْحانَكَ يا إِلهِي وَمَحْبُوبِي وَسَيِّدِيْ وَمَقْصُودِيْ
Shoghi Effendi Translation
Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who art the Goal of my desire! I swear by Thy glory! How great is my wish to attain unto a detachment so complete that were there to appear before me those countenances which are hid within the chambers of chastity, and the beauty of which Thou didst veil from the eyes of the entire creation, and whose faces Thou didst sanctify from the sight of all beings, and were they to unveil themselves in all the glory of the splendors of Thine incomparable beauty, I would refuse to look upon them, and would behold them solely for the purpose of discerning the mysteries of Thy handiwork, which have perplexed the minds of such as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and awed the souls of all them that have recognized Thee. I would, by Thy power and Thy might, soar to such heights that nothing whatsoever would have the power to keep me back from the manifold evidences of Thy transcendent dominion, nor would any earthly scheme shut me out from the manifestations of Thy Divine holiness.
Translation Notes
This form usually rendered as “may”, “am”, “shall” (19 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §62: beingfire-tabletFire §35: universegleaningsGWB §475: giveth up himself whollykitab-i-iqanKIQ §88: shouldprayers-and-meditationsP&M §325: endurethtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: they combinetablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: thou hesitatetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: whose heart hath
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: that neithergleaningsGWB §496: to bekitab-i-iqanKIQ §146: concerningprayers-and-meditationsP&M §161: through Thy strengthening gracethe-hidden-wordsHW §68: My stateepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §198: My rankgleaningsGWB §629: the assaultsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: a detachment
8 occurrences in corpus
This form usually rendered as “may”, “appear” (2 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §123: honorgleaningsGWB §547: creatureskitab-i-iqanKIQ §7: onlyprayers-and-meditationsP&M §678: summon me to bethe-hidden-wordsHW §122: His holywill-and-testamentW&T §3: His Holinessepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §71: Commander of the FaithfulgleaningsGWB §492: as befitteth thy station
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §13: The handgleaningsGWB §490: the perpetratorskitab-i-iqanKIQ §95: with their own handsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §678: presencetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: in Whose hand istablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: with their handsepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: the handsgleaningsGWB §163: allowed Pharaoh’s rod
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §7: dawning-places of Thy gracefire-tabletFire §24: exponentsgleaningsGWB §88: the heaven ofkitab-i-iqanKIQ §171: the Lastprayers-and-meditationsP&M §24: Image oftablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §17: May knowthe-hidden-wordsHW §25: before the countenancewill-and-testamentW&T §5: the angelic company
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §188: protectiongleaningsGWB §77: securekitab-i-ahdAhd §7: It is divinely preservedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §259: Protectorprayers-and-meditationsP&M §402: unfailing protectionwill-and-testamentW&T §2: pricelessepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §256: honorgleaningsGWB §87: protect
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §218: lie hidfire-tabletFire §45: Thou ConcealergleaningsGWB §434: unrevealedkitab-i-ahdAhd §3: latentkitab-i-iqanKIQ §24: starsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §756: the Impenetrable Mysterytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §36: been hiddenepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §93: may conceal
beauty 50% countenances 50%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §149: ornament togleaningsGWB §56: countenance of Beauty.”kitab-i-ahdAhd §14: Graciouskitab-i-iqanKIQ §6: briefprayers-and-meditationsP&M §855: or from meditatingtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §55: countenancesthe-hidden-wordsHW §63: of beautywill-and-testamentW&T §5: the most holy Abhá Beauty
مُلاحَظَةِ
literal: observation; observe; observation, consideration
This form usually rendered as “consider”, “reflect”, “behold” (153 occurrences)
SE expanded to “of the entire creation”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §160: inhalefire-tabletFire §49: thou canst breathegleaningsGWB §190: findeth itkitab-i-iqanKIQ §24: lifeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §10: the universetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §40: may findthe-hidden-wordsHW §69: that ye may obtainwill-and-testamentW&T §4: despite
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §14: wholly for the sakefire-tabletFire §30: This FacegleaningsGWB §28: the countenancekitab-i-ahdAhd §10: turn your faceskitab-i-iqanKIQ §187: their countenanceprayers-and-meditationsP&M §24: the facestablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: the light of thethe-hidden-wordsHW §9: thyself
This form usually rendered as “behold”, “witness”, “perceive” (145 occurrences)
SE expanded to “of all beings”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §106: be achievedfire-tabletFire §20: every creaturegleaningsGWB §708: of all mankindkitab-i-iqanKIQ §104: creaturesprayers-and-meditationsP&M §779: of Thy creaturesthe-hidden-wordsHW §128: securewill-and-testamentW&T §17: subordinationepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §228: the world of being
SE expanded to “and were they to unveil”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §100: the manifestationsfire-tabletFire §38: prevailgleaningsGWB §150: the Dispensationkitab-i-ahdAhd §3: streamed forthkitab-i-iqanKIQ §196: have been made manifestprayers-and-meditationsP&M §767: by the Manifestationtablet-of-ahmadAhmad §8: to assisttablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: the revelation of thy glory
SE expanded to “of the splendors”
light 40% splendors 25% lights 15% brightness 6% effulgence 3% radiance 3% luminaries 3% dawning 2% effulgent 2% splendor 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §109: radiancefire-tabletFire §1: of the lightgleaningsGWB §31: splendorkitab-i-ahdAhd §3: shining and resplendentkitab-i-iqanKIQ §28: illumined and inspiredprayers-and-meditationsP&M §109: luminous countenancetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §31: exalted and gloriousthe-hidden-wordsHW §52: an eternal light
This form usually rendered as “most”, “transcendent”, “exalted” (33 occurrences)
most 23% transcendent 18% exalted 14% sublime 9% inaccessible 9% mighty 9% all-highest 5% ripe 5% verily 5% glorious 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §242: in withholdinggleaningsGWB §686: remain unendowedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §239: withholdethprayers-and-meditationsP&M §562: withhold not from metablet-of-ahmadAhmad §9: arise against theethe-hidden-wordsHW §157: goodlywill-and-testamentW&T §23: are in no wise permittedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §136: have deterred
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §182: consider them notgleaningsGWB §40: Beholdkitab-i-iqanKIQ §186: not realizeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: to lookepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §74: failed to perceivegleaningsGWB §40: utterly unawarekitab-i-iqanKIQ §204: taken noticeprayers-and-meditationsP&M §13: I turn
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §158: the Most Highfire-tabletFire §42: highestgleaningsGWB §58: Most High.”kitab-i-ahdAhd §16: on thekitab-i-iqanKIQ §86: most exalted Beingsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §349: power to dotablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §56: around herthe-hidden-wordsHW §21: on thee
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §182: RejoicestgleaningsGWB §470: takest delightkitab-i-iqanKIQ §174: seatprayers-and-meditationsP&M §831: the Hidden Mysterytablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §35: the inmostthe-hidden-wordsHW §37: the gladnesswill-and-testamentW&T §4: the Land of Mysteryepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §6: Thy mysteries
SE expanded to “of Thy handiwork”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §48: craftsgleaningsGWB §321: handiworkkitab-i-iqanKIQ §270: hath performedprayers-and-meditationsP&M §239: Thy hands have fashionedthe-hidden-wordsHW §13: madewill-and-testamentW&T §6: forgingepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §212: formethgleaningsGWB §286: issuing forth from His lips
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §185: sore perplexedgleaningsGWB §118: bewilderingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §57: bewildermentprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: have perplexedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §165: perplexedgleaningsGWB §361: marveledkitab-i-iqanKIQ §250: marvelledprayers-and-meditationsP&M §254: stand aghast
hearts 48% souls 21% minds 9% heart 7% men’s 4% understanding 4% men’s 2% illuminated 2% illumined 2% pure 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §35: the heartsgleaningsGWB §91: illuminated heartkitab-i-iqanKIQ §104: illumined heartprayers-and-meditationsP&M §601: their own heartsthe-hidden-wordsHW §60: Thy heartwill-and-testamentW&T §48: They haveepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §163: soulsgleaningsGWB §453: the souls
nigh 18% favored 18% enjoy 18% who 14% well-favored 11% near 7% well-favoured 4% favourites 4% brought 4% such 4%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §142: the well-favored and sincere onesfire-tabletFire §3: oceangleaningsGWB §548: draw nighkitab-i-ahdAhd §13: Kindredkitab-i-iqanKIQ §70: is at hand.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §28: Whose nearnesstablet-of-carmelCarmel §4: favouredthe-hidden-wordsHW §36: drawing near
1 occurrence in corpus
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §141: gazethgleaningsGWB §496: loved oneskitab-i-ahdAhd §8: thosekitab-i-iqanKIQ §26: personprayers-and-meditationsP&M §230: His own naturetablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §52: within herselfthe-hidden-wordsHW §121: pure breathwill-and-testamentW&T §44: of the insincere
SE rendered وَكاعَتْ (wakáʿat), أَنْفُسُ (ʾanfus), العارِفِينَ، (al-ʿárifína،), وَأَرْتَقِي (waʾartaqí), بِحَوْلِكَ (biḥawlik) as “and awed, the souls, I would, by Thy power”
have 17% comprehend 15% all 15% know 12% such 10% understanding 7% understand 7% perceive 7% who 5% every 5%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §32: sweet savorsgleaningsGWB §61: itkitab-i-ahdAhd §13: perform praiseworthy deedskitab-i-iqanKIQ §224: ofprayers-and-meditationsP&M §744: visualizetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §12: to seethe-hidden-wordsHW §3: of thine own knowledgeepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §205: Knowledge
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §227: advancementgleaningsGWB §311: its separationkitab-i-iqanKIQ §196: soaredprayers-and-meditationsP&M §856: I wouldepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §140: ascendedgleaningsGWB §173: spiritual progressprayers-and-meditationsP&M §779: adequately describeepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §48: ladder
SE expanded to “by Thy power”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §104: turngleaningsGWB §238: through the powerkitab-i-iqanKIQ §269: the wayprayers-and-meditationsP&M §242: in that very statetablet-of-ahmadAhmad §13: become veilstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §57: her statethe-hidden-wordsHW §109: now thatwill-and-testamentW&T §6: whilst
SE expanded to “and Thy might”
This form usually rendered as “station”, “connection”, “place” (338 occurrences)
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §210: steadfire-tabletFire §48: He hath risen upgleaningsGWB §159: constancykitab-i-ahdAhd §13: your stationkitab-i-iqanKIQ §194: station—the stationprayers-and-meditationsP&M §617: violentlytablet-of-carmelCarmel §3: most exalted Spottablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §47: own station
SE rendered مَقامِ (maqám), يَشْغَلَنِيْ (yashghalaní), شَأْنٌ (shaʾanun), شُئُوناتِ (shuʾúnát), عِزِّ (ʿizz) as “such heights, me back, the manifold evidences, of Thy transcendent”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §164: busyinggleaningsGWB §471: engrosskitab-i-iqanKIQ §182: busy himselfprayers-and-meditationsP&M §81: and be occupied onlythe-hidden-wordsHW §27: and busywill-and-testamentW&T §14: hath spentepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §184: theygleaningsGWB §106: to be busied
SE expanded to “of Thy transcendent”
glory 49% transcendent 20% exalted 10% glorified 4% honor 4% all-glorious 3% mighty 3% most 3% almighty 3% might 2%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §56: sovereignty and gloryfire-tabletFire §43: by Thy banishmentgleaningsGWB §365: inestimablekitab-i-iqanKIQ §99: friendprayers-and-meditationsP&M §837: augustthe-hidden-wordsHW §58: splendorwill-and-testamentW&T §4: endearedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §118: glory
SE expanded to “shut me out”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §87: wrapped in agleaningsGWB §401: to shut you outkitab-i-iqanKIQ §205: this densest of all veilsprayers-and-meditationsP&M §140: shut him out fromthe-hidden-wordsHW §35: dost thou veil thyselfepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §132: veilsgleaningsGWB §673: nakedkitab-i-iqanKIQ §168: unveiled
1 occurrence in corpus
SE rendered تَحْجُبُنِيْ (taḥjubuní), هَنْدَسِيَّاتُ (handasísát), المُلْكيَّةِ (al-mulkíkah), ظُهُوراتِ (ẓuhúrát), قُدْسِ (quds) as “shut me out, earthly scheme, the manifestations, of Thy Divine”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §143: kingsgleaningsGWB §425: of the earthkitab-i-iqanKIQ §43: the angels descend.”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §843: all the kingdomstablet-of-carmelCarmel §1: of the Kingdomtablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §22: guardian angelsthe-hidden-wordsHW §15: My dominionwill-and-testamentW&T §48: of the
This form usually rendered as “holiness”, “holy”, “most” (154 occurrences)
SE expanded to “of Thy Divine”
holiness 45% holy 34% most 6% sanctified 5% eternal 3% sacred 2% hallowed 2% divine 2% sanctity 2% unknowable 1%
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §54: liberategleaningsGWB §122: sanctifyingkitab-i-iqanKIQ §240: holy and immortalprayers-and-meditationsP&M §670: entirely striptablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §26: Celestial Concoursethe-hidden-wordsHW §151: purgingepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §153: sanctifygleaningsGWB §635: most blessed
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §233: “GlorifiedgleaningsGWB §4: Far, farkitab-i-iqanKIQ §175: “veils of glory”prayers-and-meditationsP&M §15: veil of vain imaginingstablet-of-the-holy-marinerMariner §11: my Lordthe-hidden-wordsHW §89: from on highepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §203: GlorifiedgleaningsGWB §112: Glory be to Thee
This form usually rendered as “beloved”, “best-beloved”, “well-beloved” (49 occurrences)
SE expanded to “of my desire”
SE rendered إِلهِي (ʾilhí), وَمَحْبُوبِي (wamaḥbúbí), وَسَيِّدِيْ (wasayyidí) as “Thou Who art the Goal, of my desire”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §182: blackgleaningsGWB §230: from afarprayers-and-meditationsP&M §241: Masterepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §94: as much as thegleaningsGWB §181: descendant of the Prophetprayers-and-meditationsP&M §652: O my Masterepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §186: LordgleaningsGWB §84: turned black
SE rendered وَمَحْبُوبِي (wamaḥbúbí), وَسَيِّدِيْ (wasayyidí), وَمَقْصُودِيْ (wamaqṣúdí) as “of my desire”
epistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §64: aim ofgleaningsGWB §59: He Who is the Desirekitab-i-ahdAhd §10: The objectkitab-i-iqanKIQ §246: Their aimprayers-and-meditationsP&M §698: the Goal of my desirethe-hidden-wordsHW §76: the charmwill-and-testamentW&T §7: purposedepistle-to-the-son-of-the-wolfESW §120: hastened
