THE HIDDEN WORDS OF BAHA'U'LLAH
(U.S., 1985 reprint)
Filename: HW.ZIP (Both Arabic and Persian)
Filedate: 11-19-93
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THE HIDDEN WORDS
Part I.--From the Arabic
HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES
This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory,
uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed
unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence
thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of
grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the
Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in
the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.
1. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and
radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient,
imperishable and everlasting.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice;
turn not away therefrom if thou desirest
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Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee.
By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and
not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of
thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge
of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart;
how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My
gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set
it then before thine eyes.
3. O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient
eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee;
therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee
Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.
4. O SON OF MAN!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore,
do thou love Me, that I may name thy name
and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
5. O SON OF BEING!
Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me
not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this,
O servant.
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6. O SON OF BEING!
Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion
with Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This
is that which hath been destined for thee in Our
kingdom above and Our exalted dominion.
7. O SON OF MAN!
If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if
thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own;
that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live
in thee.
8. O SON OF SPIRIT!
There is no peace for thee save by renouncing
thyself and turning unto Me; for it behooveth thee
to glory in My name, not in thine own; to put thy
trust in Me and not in thyself, since I desire to be
loved alone and above all that is.
9. O SON OF BEING!
My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein
is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall
surely stray and perish.
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10. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that
thou mayest abide in safety. My love is in thee,
know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto
thee.
11. O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee.
Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none
other than Me. For I have created thee rich
and have bountifully shed My favor upon
thee.
12. O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with
the fingers of strength I created thee; and within
thee have I placed the essence of My light.
Be thou content with it and seek naught else,
for My work is perfect and My command is
binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt
thereof.
13. O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself
down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith
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dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence
of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest
thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me?
Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost
thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight
unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing
within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
14. O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth
not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing?
Thou art My light and My light shall
never be extinguished; why dost thou dread
extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory
fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe
shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love
for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm
of glory.
15. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save
Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion
perisheth not. If thou seekest another than
Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore,
thy quest will be in vain.
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16. O SON OF LIGHT!
Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit.
This is of the essence of My command, therefore
turn unto it.
17. O SON OF MAN!
Be thou content with Me and seek no other
helper. For none but Me can ever suffice thee.
18. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee,
then be content with what We have ordained for
thy sake, for this is that which profiteth thee, if
therewith thou dost content thyself.
19. O SON OF THE WONDROUS VISION!
I have breathed within thee a breath of My own
Spirit, that thou mayest be My lover. Why hast
thou forsaken Me and sought a beloved other
than Me?
20. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten.
My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be
veiled. My love has made in thee its home,
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it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to
thee, it cannot be obscured.
21. O SON OF MAN!
Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for
thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou
turned away and contented thyself with that which
is less good? Return then unto that which is better
for thee in the realm on high.
22. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased
thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast
created.
23. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that
which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away
from Our desire and seek thine own?
24. O SON OF MAN!
Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which
beseemeth thee not. Prostrate thyself before the
countenance of thy God, the Lord of might and
power.
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25. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Vaunt not thyself over the poor, for I lead him on
his way and behold thee in thy evil plight and
confound thee for evermore.
26. O SON OF BEING!
How couldst thou forget thine own faults and
busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso
doeth this is accursed of Me.
27. O SON OF MAN!
Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art
thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this
command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this
I bear witness.
28. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Know thou of a truth: He that biddeth men be just
and himself committeth iniquity is not of Me, even
though he bear My name.
29. O SON OF BEING!
Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst
not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which
thou doest not. This is My command unto thee,
do thou observe it.
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30. O SON OF MAN!
Deny not My servant should he ask anything from
thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed
before Me.
31. O SON OF BEING!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art
summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded,
shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to
give account for thy deeds.
32. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
I have made death a messenger of joy to thee.
Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to
shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil
thyself therefrom?
33. O SON OF SPIRIT!
With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice!
To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide
therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore.
34. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful
tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou
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grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth thee
in His cause; why dost thou veil thyself? The light
of His countenance doth lead thee; how canst
thou go astray?
35. O SON OF MAN!
Sorrow not save that thou art far from Us. Rejoice
not save that thou art drawing near and returning
unto Us.
36. O SON OF MAN!
Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou
mayest be worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth
My beauty.
37. O SON OF MAN!
Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe, and forfeit
not thy portion from My wondrous fountain,
lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore.
38. O SON OF BEING!
Walk in My statutes for love of Me and deny thyself
that which thou desirest if thou seekest My
pleasure.
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39. O SON OF MAN!
Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My
beauty, and forget not My counsels if thou
wouldst attain My good pleasure.
40. O SON OF MAN!
Wert thou to speed through the immensity of
space and traverse the expanse of heaven, yet
thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to
Our command and humbleness before Our Face.
41. O SON OF MAN!
Magnify My cause that I may reveal unto thee the
mysteries of My greatness and shine upon thee
with the light of eternity.
42. O SON OF MAN!
Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously
visit thee. Arise for the triumph of My
cause, that while yet on earth thou mayest obtain
the victory.
43. O SON OF BEING!
Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My
heaven I may remember thee, thus shall Mine eyes
and thine be solaced.
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44. O SON OF THE THRONE!
Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith.
Thy sight is My sight, do thou see therewith,
that in thine inmost soul thou mayest
testify unto My exalted sanctity, and I within
Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station
for thee.
45. O SON OF BEING!
Seek a martyr's death in My path, content with
My pleasure and thankful for that which I ordain,
that thou mayest repose with Me beneath
the canopy of majesty behind the tabernacle
of glory.
46. O SON OF MAN!
Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die upon thy
bed, or to shed thy life-blood on the dust, a
martyr in My path, and so become the manifestation
of My command and the revealer of My light
in the highest paradise? Judge thou aright, O servant!
47. O SON OF MAN!
By My beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood
is greater in My sight than the creation of the
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universe and the light of both worlds. Strive then
to attain this, O servant!
48. O SON OF MAN!
For everything there is a sign. The sign of love
is fortitude under My decree and patience under
My trials.
49. O SON OF MAN!
The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as
doth the rebel for forgiveness and the sinful
for mercy.
50. O SON OF MAN!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how
canst thou walk in the ways of them that are
content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not
in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain
the light in thy love for My beauty?
51. O SON OF MAN!
My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is
fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and
mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest
become an eternal light and an immortal spirit.
This is My command unto thee, do thou observe
it.
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52. O SON OF MAN!
Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and
should abasement come upon thee, grieve not,
for both shall pass away and be no more.
53. O SON OF BEING!
If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in
time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear
not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on
thee.
54. O SON OF BEING!
If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable
dominion, and this ancient, everlasting
life, forsake this mortal and fleeting sovereignty.
55. O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We
test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.
56. O SON OF MAN!
Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom
from it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession,
and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity
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therefrom. By My life! This is My knowledge, and
that is thy fancy; how can My way accord with
thine?
57. O SON OF MAN!
Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven
thou mayest draw from stores of unfading
splendor and treasures of imperishable glory.
But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more
glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine
eye.
58. O SON OF MAN!
The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of
all things, that there I may be established and
there I may abide.
59. O SON OF BEING!
Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent.
Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for
My manifestation.
60. O SON OF MAN!
Put thy hand into My bosom, that I may rise above
thee, radiant and resplendent.
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61. O SON OF MAN!
Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain
the joy of reunion, and from the chalice of imperishable
glory quaff the peerless wine.
62. O SON OF MAN!
Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou
hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings.
How long art thou to slumber on thy bed?
Lift up thy head from slumber, for the Sun hath
risen to the zenith, haply it may shine upon thee
with the light of beauty.
63. O SON OF MAN!
The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of
the sacred Mount and the spirit of enlightenment
hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore,
free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and
enter into My court, that thou mayest be fit for
everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may
death not come upon thee, neither weariness nor
trouble.
64. O SON OF MAN!
My eternity is My creation, I have created it for
thee. Make it the garment of thy temple. My unity
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is My handiwork; I have wrought it for thee; clothe
thyself therewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity
the revelation of My everlasting being.
65. O SON OF MAN!
My majesty is My gift to thee, and My grandeur
the token of My mercy unto thee. That
which beseemeth Me none shall understand,
nor can anyone recount. Verily, I have preserved
it in My hidden storehouses and in the
treasuries of My command, as a sign of My
loving-kindness unto My servants and My mercy
unto My people.
66. O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND
INVISIBLE ESSENCE!
Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls
shall be perturbed as they make mention of Me.
For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain
Me.
67. O SON OF BEAUTY!
By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and
by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee
with the tongue of power, and have written for
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thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance
with thy capacity and understanding, not
with My state and the melody of My voice.
68. O CHILDREN OF MEN!
Know ye not why We created you all from the
same dust? That no one should exalt himself
over the other. Ponder at all times in your
hearts how ye were created. Since We have
created you all from one same substance it is
incumbent on you to be even as one soul,
to walk with the same feet, eat with the same
mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your
inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs
of oneness and the essence of detachment may be
made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse
of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may
obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous
glory.
69. O YE SONS OF SPIRIT!
Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the
pearls of My mysteries and the gems of My knowledge.
Guard them from the strangers amidst My
servants and from the ungodly amongst My people.
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70. O SON OF HIM THAT STOOD BY HIS OWN
ENTITY IN THE KINGDOM OF HIS SELF!
Know thou, that I have wafted unto thee all the
fragrances of holiness, have fully revealed to thee
My word, have perfected through thee My bounty
and have desired for thee that which I have
desired for My Self. Be then content with My
pleasure and thankful unto Me.
71. O SON OF MAN!
Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the
ink of light upon the tablet of thy spirit. Should
this not be in thy power, then make thine ink of
the essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do,
then write with that crimson ink that hath been
shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to Me than
all else, that its light may endure for ever.
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THE HIDDEN WORDS
Part II.--From the Persian
In the Name of the Lord of Utterance, The Mighty.
1. O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW
AND EARS TO HEAR!
The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale!
Abide not but in the rose-garden of the
spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek
thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved,
and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save
on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation,
if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to
the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy
goal.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the
charm of the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts
of men, content with transient dust, have
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strayed far from their eternal nest, and with
eyes turned towards the slough of heedlessness
are bereft of the glory of the divine presence. Alas!
How strange and pitiful; for a mere cupful, they
have turned away from the billowing seas of the
Most High, and remained far from the most effulgent
horizon.
3. O FRIEND!
In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the
rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection
and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship
of the righteous and eschew all fellowship
with the ungodly.
4. O SON OF JUSTICE!
Whither can a lover go but to the land of his
beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from
his heart's desire? To the true lover reunion is life,
and separation is death. His breast is void of patience
and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives
he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his
beloved.
5. O SON OF DUST!
Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent
is he that disputeth idly and seeketh
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to advance himself over his brother. Say, O
brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.
6. O SON OF EARTH!
Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant
of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting
dominion, nor inhale the sweet savors of holiness
breathing from My kingdom of sanctity.
7. O SON OF LOVE!
Thou art but one step away from the glorious
heights above and from the celestial tree of
love. Take thou one pace and with the next
advance into the immortal realm and enter
the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to
that which hath been revealed by the pen of
glory.
8. O SON OF GLORY!
Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the
heaven of communion with Me. Cleanse thy heart
with the burnish of the spirit, and hasten to the
court of the Most High.
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9. O FLEETING SHADOW!
Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to
the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of
truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty
and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent
of all creators!
10. O SON OF DESIRE!
Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize
the everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart
delight in aught but in the withered bloom. For
like seeketh like, and taketh pleasure in the company
of its kind.
11. O SON OF DUST!
Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My
beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken
unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself
of all learning, that thou mayest partake of
My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches,
that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the
ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes,
that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears
to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning
save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a
pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter
the court of My holiness.
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12. O MAN OF TWO VISIONS!
Close one eye and open the other. Close one to
the world and all that is therein, and open the
other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved.
13. O MY CHILDREN!
I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of
heaven, ye will sink back to the shades of utter
loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of
the rose, return to water and clay.
14. O FRIENDS!
Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty
that must die, and set not your affections on this
mortal world of dust.
15. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness
will no longer unfold the inner mysteries and
ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and of
the voice from on high.
16. O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE!
Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in one
speech, and myriads of hidden mysteries are revealed
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in a single melody; yet, alas, there is no ear
to hear, nor heart to understand.
17. O COMRADES!
The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide
and the habitation of the loved one is adorned
with the lovers' blood, yet all but a few remain
bereft of this celestial city, and even of these few,
none but the smallest handful hath been found
with a pure heart and sanctified spirit.
18. O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST
PARADISE!
Proclaim unto the children of assurance that
within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial
paradise, a new garden hath appeared,
round which circle the denizens of the realm on
high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted
paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station,
that ye may unravel the mysteries of love
from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine
and consummate wisdom from its eternal
fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and
abide therein!
19. O MY FRIENDS!
Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn,
when in those hallowed and blessed surroundings
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ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the
shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the
all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I
gave utterance to these three most holy words: O
friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire
that which I have not desired for you, and approach
Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with
worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctify
your souls, ye would at this present hour recall
that place and those surroundings, and the truth
of My utterance should be made evident unto all
of you.
In the eighth of the most holy lines, in the fifth Tablet of
Paradise, He saith:
20. O YE THAT ARE LYING AS DEAD ON THE
COUCH OF HEEDLESSNESS!
Ages have passed and your precious lives are
well-nigh ended, yet not a single breath of
purity hath reached Our court of holiness from
you. Though immersed in the ocean of misbelief,
yet with your lips ye profess the one true faith of
God. Him whom I abhor ye have loved, and of My
foe ye have made a friend. Notwithstanding, ye
walk on My earth complacent and self-satisfied,
heedless that My earth is weary of you and everything
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within it shunneth you. Were ye but to open
your eyes, ye would, in truth, prefer a myriad
griefs unto this joy, and would count death itself
better than this life.
21. O MOVING FORM OF DUST!
I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst
put no trust in Me. The sword of thy rebellion
hath felled the tree of thy hope. At all times I am
near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me.
Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet
boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself.
While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy
chance.
22. O SON OF DESIRE!
The learned and the wise have for long years
striven and failed to attain the presence of the
All-Glorious; they have spent their lives in
search of Him, yet did not behold the beauty
of His countenance. Thou without the least effort
didst attain thy goal, and without search
hast obtained the object of thy quest. Yet,
notwithstanding, thou didst remain so wrapt
in the veil of self, that thine eyes beheld not the
beauty of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch
the hem of His robe. Ye that have eyes, behold
and wonder.
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23. O DWELLERS IN THE CITY OF LOVE!
Mortal blasts have beset the everlasting candle,
and the beauty of the celestial Youth is veiled in
the darkness of dust. The chief of the monarchs
of love is wronged by the people of tyranny and
the dove of holiness lies prisoned in the talons of
owls. The dwellers in the pavilion of glory and the
celestial concourse bewail and lament, while ye
repose in the realm of negligence, and esteem
yourselves as of the true friends. How vain are
your imaginings!
24. O YE THAT ARE FOOLISH, YET HAVE A
NAME TO BE WISE!
Wherefore do ye wear the guise of shepherds,
when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent
upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which
riseth ere the dawn, and which, though it seem
radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My
city astray into the paths of perdition.
25. O YE SEEMING FAIR YET INWARDLY FOUL!
Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward
seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested
by the divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea,
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the sun beam falls alike upon the dust and the
mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth
the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the
difference!
26. O MY FRIEND IN WORD!
Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard that friend
and foe should abide in one heart? Cast out then
the stranger, that the Friend may enter His home.
27. O SON OF DUST!
All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained
for thee, except the human heart, which I have
made the habitation of My beauty and glory; yet
thou didst give My home and dwelling to another
than Me; and whenever the manifestation of My
holiness sought His own abode, a stranger found
He there, and, homeless, hastened unto the sanctuary
of the Beloved. Notwithstanding I have concealed
thy secret and desired not thy shame.
28. O ESSENCE OF DESIRE!
At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of
the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on
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the bed of ease busied with others than Myself.
Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned
to the realms of celestial glory and
breathed it not in My retreats above unto the
hosts of holiness.
29. O SON OF BOUNTY!
Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay
of My command I made thee to appear, and
have ordained for thy training every atom in
existence and the essence of all created things.
Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother's
womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming
milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love
thee. Out of My loving-kindness, 'neath the shade
of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee
by the essence of My grace and favor. And My
purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain
My everlasting dominion and become worthy of
My invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou
didst remain, and when fully grown, thou didst
neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself with
thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst
become wholly forgetful, and, turning away from
the portals of the Friend didst abide within the
courts of My enemy.
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30. O BOND SLAVE OF THE WORLD!
Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness
wafted over thee and found thee upon
the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing
then thy plight it returned whence it came.
31. O SON OF EARTH!
Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than
Me; and wouldst thou gaze upon My beauty,
close thine eyes to the world and all that is
therein; for My will and the will of another than
Me, even as fire and water, cannot dwell together
in one heart.
32. O BEFRIENDED STRANGER!
The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand
of My power, quench it not with the contrary
winds of self and passion. The healer of all thine
ills is remembrance of Me, forget it not. Make My
love thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very
sight and life.
33. O MY BROTHER!
Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed
tongue, and quaff the stream of mystic holiness
from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My
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divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and
water them with the water of certitude, that the
hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may
spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy
heart.
34. O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE!
With the hands of loving-kindness I have
planted in the holy garden of paradise the young
tree of your love and friendship, and have watered
it with the goodly showers of My tender grace;
now that the hour of its fruiting is come, strive
that it may be protected, and be not consumed
with the flame of desire and passion.
35. O MY FRIENDS!
Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within
your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance.
For ere long the assayers of mankind shall,
in the holy presence of the Adored, accept naught
but purest virtue and deeds of stainless holiness.
36. O SON OF DUST!
The wise are they that speak not unless they
obtain a hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who
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proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker,
and the lover who crieth not out from the depths
of his heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of
his beloved. Wherefore sow the seeds of wisdom
and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart,
and keep them hidden, till the hyacinths of divine
wisdom spring from the heart and not from mire
and clay.
In the first line of the Tablet it is recorded and written,
and within the sanctuary of the tabernacle of God is
hidden:
37. O MY SERVANT!
Abandon not for that which perisheth an everlasting
dominion, and cast not away celestial sovereignty
for a worldly desire. This is the river of
everlasting life that hath flowed from the well-spring
of the pen of the merciful; well is it with
them that drink!
38. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix
of love soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce
thyself and, filled with the spirit of mercy,
abide in the realm of celestial sanctity.
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39. O OFFSPRING OF DUST!
Be not content with the ease of a passing day,
and deprive not thyself of everlasting rest.
Barter not the garden of eternal delight for
the dust-heap of a mortal world. Up from thy
prison ascend unto the glorious meads above, and
from thy mortal cage wing thy flight unto the
paradise of the Placeless.
40. O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and
loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy
chance, for it will come to thee no more.
41. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou
wouldst strive to pass from this fleeting world. But
to conceal the one from thee and to reveal the
other is a mystery which none but the pure in
heart can comprehend.
42. O MY SERVANT!
Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of
envy, enter the divine court of holiness.
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43. O MY FRIENDS!
Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure of
the Friend, and know that His pleasure is in
the pleasure of His creatures. That is: no man
should enter the house of his friend save at
his friend's pleasure, nor lay hands upon his treasures
nor prefer his own will to his friend's, and
in no wise seek an advantage over him. Ponder
this, ye that have insight!
44. O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!
Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself,
neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou
mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify
not the faults of others that thine own faults may
not appear great; and wish not the abasement of
anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed.
Live then the days of thy life, that are less
than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless,
thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy
nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou
mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair
unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal
kingdom for evermore.
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45. ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY
DESIRE!
Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed
by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts
on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before
your vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye
turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a
flower. Not a pure breath have ye breathed, nor
hath the breeze of detachment been wafted from
the meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the
winds the loving counsels of the Beloved and have
effaced them utterly from the tablet of your
hearts, and even as the beasts of the field, ye move
and have your being within the pastures of desire
and passion.
46. O BRETHREN IN THE PATH!
Wherefore have ye neglected the mention of the
Loved One, and kept remote from His holy presence?
The essence of beauty is within the peerless
pavilion, set upon the throne of glory, whilst ye
busy yourselves with idle contentions. The sweet
savors of holiness are breathing and the breath
of bounty is wafted, yet ye are all sorely afflicted
and deprived thereof. Alas for you and for them
that walk in your ways and follow in your footsteps!
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47. O CHILDREN OF DESIRE!
Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest
yourselves of the attire of haughtiness.
In the third of the most holy lines writ and recorded in
the Ruby Tablet by the pen of the unseen this is revealed:
48. O BRETHREN!
Be forbearing one with another and set not your
affections on things below. Pride not yourselves
in your glory, and be not ashamed of abasement.
By My beauty! I have created all things from dust,
and to dust will I return them again.
49. O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor,
lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction,
and deprive them of the Tree of
Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes
of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself
with My virtues.
50. O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION!
Put away all covetousness and seek contentment;
for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the
contented hath ever been loved and praised.
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51. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in
riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and
riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor
in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not
the value thereof, for in the end it will make
thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the
meaning of the utterance, "In truth ye are the
poor," and the holy words, "God is the all-possessing,"
shall even as the true morn break
forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon
of the lover's heart, and abide secure on the
throne of wealth.
52. O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND
PASSION!
Ye have suffered My enemy to enter My house
and have cast out My friend, for ye have enshrined
the love of another than Me in your
hearts. Give ear to the sayings of the Friend
and turn towards His paradise. Worldly friends,
seeking their own good, appear to love one the
other, whereas the true Friend hath loved and
doth love you for your own sakes; indeed He hath
suffered for your guidance countless afflictions.
Be not disloyal to such a Friend, nay rather hasten
unto Him. Such is the daystar of the word of truth
and faithfulness, that hath dawned above the horizon
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of the pen of the Lord of all names. Open
your ears that ye may hearken unto the word of
God, the Help in peril, the Self-existent.
53. O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON
MORTAL RICHES!
Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier
between the seeker and his desire, the lover and
his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in
no wise attain the court of His presence nor
enter the city of content and resignation. Well
is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered
by his riches from the eternal kingdom,
nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion.
By the Most Great Name! The splendor of such
a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of
heaven even as the sun enlightens the people
of the earth!
54. O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye
My trust, and be not intent only on your own
ease.
55. O SON OF PASSION!
Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches
and in perfect peace advance into the realm
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of poverty; that from the well-spring of detachment
thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal
life.
56. O MY SON!
The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow,
whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth
the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to
commune with God, let him betake himself to
the companionship of His loved ones; and he
that desireth to hearken unto the word of God,
let him give ear to the words of His chosen
ones.
57. O SON OF DUST!
Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek
not fellowship with him, for such companionship
turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal
fire.
58. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit,
enter into fellowship with the righteous, for
he hath drunk the cup of eternal life at the
hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even
as the true morn doth quicken and illumine the
hearts of the dead.
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59. O HEEDLESS ONES!
Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay,
know ye of a certainty that in clear characters they
are engraved and are openly manifest in the holy
Presence.
60. O FRIENDS!
Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within
your hearts is to Us open and manifest as the day;
but that it is hidden is of Our grace and favor, and
not of your deserving.
61. O SON OF MAN!
A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My
mercy I have shed upon the peoples of the world,
yet found none turn thereunto, inasmuch as every
one hath turned away from the celestial wine of
unity unto the foul dregs of impurity, and, content
with mortal cup, hath put away the chalice of immortal
beauty. Vile is that wherewith he is contented.
62. O SON OF DUST!
Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine
of the immortal Beloved, and open them not to
foul and mortal dregs. Take from the hands of the
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divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life,
that all wisdom may be thine, and that thou mayest
hearken unto the mystic voice calling from the
realm of the invisible. Cry aloud, ye that are of low
aim! Wherefore have ye turned away from My
holy and immortal wine unto evanescent water?
63. O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!
Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity followeth
you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you.
Think not that which ye have committed hath
been effaced in My sight. By My beauty! All your
doings hath My pen graven with open characters
upon tablets of chrysolite.
64. O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH!
Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have
pledged Myself not to forgive any man's injustice.
This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed
in the preserved tablet and sealed with My
seal.
65. O REBELLIOUS ONES!
My forbearance hath emboldened you and My
long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such
wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of
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passion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction.
Have ye thought Me heedless or that I was
unaware?
66. O EMIGRANTS!
The tongue I have designed for the mention of
Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self
overcome you, remember your own faults and not
the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one
of you knoweth his own self better than he
knoweth others.
67. O CHILDREN OF FANCY!
Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh
above the horizon of eternal holiness, the satanic
secrets and deeds done in the gloom of night shall
be laid bare and manifest before the peoples of
the world.
68. O WEED THAT SPRINGETH OUT OF DUST!
Wherefore have not these soiled hands of thine
touched first thine own garment, and why with
thine heart defiled with desire and passion dost
thou seek to commune with Me and to enter My
sacred realm? Far, far are ye from that which ye
desire.
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69. O CHILDREN OF ADAM!
Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend
unto the heaven of celestial glory. Strive that
your deeds may be cleansed from the dust of
self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court
of glory; for ere long the assayers of mankind
shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One,
accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of
stainless purity. This is the daystar of wisdom
and of divine mystery that hath shone above
the horizon of the divine will. Blessed are they
that turn thereunto.
70. O SON OF WORLDLINESS!
Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain
thereto; glorious is the domain of eternity,
shouldst thou pass beyond the world of mortality;
sweet is the holy ecstasy if thou drinkest of
the mystic chalice from the hands of the celestial
Youth. Shouldst thou attain this station, thou
wouldst be freed from destruction and death,
from toil and sin.
71. O MY FRIENDS!
Call ye to mind that covenant ye have entered into
with Me upon Mount Paran, situate within
the hallowed precincts of Zaman. I have taken
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to witness the concourse on high and the dwellers
in the city of eternity, yet now none do I
find faithful unto the covenant. Of a certainty
pride and rebellion have effaced it from the
hearts, in such wise that no trace thereof remaineth.
Yet knowing this, I waited and disclosed it
not.
72. O MY SERVANT!
Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed
in the darkness of its sheath and its value
hidden from the artificer's knowledge. Wherefore
come forth from the sheath of self and
desire that thy worth may be made resplendent
and manifest unto all the world.
73. O MY FRIEND!
Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness,
let not the defilement of the world eclipse
thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of heedlessness,
that from behind the clouds thou mayest
emerge resplendent and array all things with the
apparel of life.
74. O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY!
For a fleeting sovereignty ye have abandoned My
imperishable dominion, and have adorned yourselves
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with the gay livery of the world and made
of it your boast. By My beauty! All will I gather
beneath the one-colored covering of the dust and
efface all these diverse colors save them
that choose My own, and that is purging from every
color.
75. O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE!
Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty
and rejoice not therein. Ye are even as the unwary
bird that with full confidence warbleth
upon the bough; till of a sudden the fowler
Death throws it upon the dust, and the melody,
the form and the color are gone, leaving
not a trace. Wherefore take heed, O bondslaves
of desire!
76. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now
it is given by deeds. Every one must show forth
deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the
property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these
belong only to Our loved ones. Strive then with
heart and soul to distinguish yourselves by your
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deeds. In this wise We counsel you in this holy and
resplendent tablet.
77. O SON OF JUSTICE!
In the night-season the beauty of the immortal
Being hath repaired from the emerald height of
fidelity unto the &Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept
with such a weeping that the concourse on high
and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at
His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked,
Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply:
As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill
of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that
dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then
summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain
doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws
of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of
heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent
from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their
names, and all were told but one. And when
urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon
the dwellers of the celestial chambers
rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And
whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell
down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment
a voice was heard from the inmost shrine:
"Thus far and no farther." Verily We bear witness
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to that which they have done and now are
doing.
78. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream
of divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring
of divine utterance the unveiled splendor of the
daystar of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine
wisdom in the pure soil of the heart, and water
them with the waters of certitude, that the hyacinths
of knowledge and wisdom may spring up
fresh and green from the holy city of the heart.
79. O SON OF DESIRE!
How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire?
Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that
thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness
and not the regions of satanic fancy. The
comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest
dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My
throat.
80. O MY SERVANTS!
Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth
goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves
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and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is incumbent
on every one to engage in crafts and professions,
for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men
of understanding! For results depend upon
means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient
unto you. Trees that yield no fruit have been and
will ever be for the fire.
81. O MY SERVANT!
The basest of men are they that yield no fruit
on earth. Such men are verily counted as
among the dead, nay better are the dead in
the sight of God than those idle and worthless
souls.
82. O MY SERVANT!
The best of men are they that earn a livelihood
by their calling and spend upon themselves and
upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord
of all worlds.
The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere this beneath the
veiling of utterance, hath now, by the grace of God and His
divine favor, been made manifest even as the resplendent light
shed by the beauty of the Beloved. I bear witness, O friends!
that the favor is complete, the argument fulfilled, the proof
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manifest and the evidence established. Let it now be seen what
your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal. In this
wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto you
and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All praise
to God, the Lord of all Worlds.