# Hidden Words

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Wilmette, IL: Bahá'i Publishing Trust, 1985 [1927], bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Hidden Words
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Shoghi Effendi
> 
> , translator
> 
> Wilmette, IL: Bahá'i Publishing Trust, 1985 [1927]
> 
> original date
> 
> 1857-1858 (1274 A.H)
> 
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> (Click
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> 
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> .
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> 
> Arabic
> 
> Preamble
> 
> 1
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> 2
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> 3
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> 4
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> 5
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> 6
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> 7
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> 8
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> 9
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> 49
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> 51
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> 52
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> 53
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> 54
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> 55
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> 57
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> 58
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> 61
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> 62
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> 63
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> 64
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> 65
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> 66
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> 67
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> 69
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> 70
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> 71
> 
> Persian
> 
> Invocation
> 
> 1
> 
> 2
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> 3
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> 4
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> 5
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> 6
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> 7
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> 8
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> 9
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> 10
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> 11
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> 12
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> 13
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> 14
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> 15
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> 16
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> 17
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> 18
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> 19
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> 20
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> 21
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> 22
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> 23
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> 24
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> 25
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> 26
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> 27
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> 28
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> 29
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> 30
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> 31
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> 32
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> 33
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> 34
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> 35
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> 36
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> 37
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> 38
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> 39
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> 40
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> 41
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> 42
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> 43
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> 44
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> 45
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> 46
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> 47
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> 48
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> 49
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> 50
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> 51
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> 52
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> 53
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> 54
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> 55
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> 56
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> 57
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> 58
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> 59
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> 60
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> 61
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> 62
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> 63
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> 64
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> 65
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> 66
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> 67
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> 68
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> 70
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> 72
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> 73
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> 74
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> 75
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> 76
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> 77
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> 78
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> 79
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> 80
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> 81
> 
> 82
> 
> Conclusion
> 
> Part I—From the Arabic
> 
> Preamble ("This is that which hath descended")
> 
> 1
> ("My first counsel is this")
> 
> 2
> ("The best beloved of all things")
> 
> 3
> ("Veiled in My immemorial being")
> 
> 4
> ("I loved thy creation")
> 
> 5
> ("Love Me, that I may love thee")
> 
> 6
> ("Thy Paradise is My love")
> 
> 7
> ("If thou lovest Me")
> 
> 8
> ("There is no peace for thee")
> 
> 9
> ("My love is My stronghold")
> 
> 10
> ("Thou art My stronghold")
> 
> 11
> ("Thou art My lamp")
> 
> 12
> ("With the hands of power")
> 
> 13
> ("I created thee rich")
> 
> 14
> ("Thou art My dominion")
> 
> 15
> ("Turn thy face unto Mine")
> 
> 16
> ("Forget all save Me")
> 
> 17
> ("Be thou content with Me ")
> 
> 18
> ("Ask not of Me")
> 
> 19
> ("I have breathed within thee")
> 
> 20
> ("My claim on thee is great")
> 
> 21
> ("Upon the tree of effulgent glory")
> 
> 22
> ("Noble have I created thee")
> 
> 23
> ("To the eternal I call thee")
> 
> 24
> ("Transgress not thy limits")
> 
> 25
> ("Vaunt not thyself over the poor")
> 
> 26
> ("How couldst thou forget thine own faults ")
> 
> 27
> ("Breathe not the sins of others ")
> 
> 28
> ("Know thou of a truth")
> 
> 29
> ("Ascribe not to any soul")
> 
> 30
> ("Deny not My servant should he ask")
> 
> 31
> ("Bring thyself to account each day")
> 
> 32
> ("I have made death a messenger of joy ")
> 
> 33
> ("With the joyful tidings of light")
> 
> 34
> ("The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee")
> 
> 35
> ("Sorrow not save that thou art far")
> 
> 36
> ("Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart")
> 
> 37
> ("Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe")
> 
> 38
> ("Walk in My statutes for love of Me")
> 
> 39
> ("Neglect not My commandments")
> 
> 40
> ("Wert thou to speed through the immensity")
> 
> 41
> ("Magnify My cause")
> 
> 42
> ("Humble thyself before Me")
> 
> 43
> ("Make mention of Me on My earth")
> 
> 44
> ("Thy hearing is My hearing")
> 
> 45
> ("Seek a martyr's death in My path")
> 
> 46
> ("Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die")
> 
> 47
> ("By My beauty! To tinge thy hair")
> 
> 48
> ("For everything there is a sign")
> 
> 49
> ("The true lover yearneth for tribulation")
> 
> 50
> ("If adversity befall thee not in My path")
> 
> 51
> ("My calamity is My providence")
> 
> 52
> ("Should prosperity befall thee")
> 
> 53
> ("If poverty overtake thee, be not sad")
> 
> 54
> ("If thine heart be set upon this eternal")
> 
> 55
> ("Busy not thyself with this world")
> 
> 56
> ("Thou dost wish for gold")
> 
> 57
> ("Bestow My wealth upon My poor")
> 
> 58
> ("The temple of being is My throne")
> 
> 59
> ("Thy heart is My home; sanctify it")
> 
> 60
> ("Put thy hand into My bosom")
> 
> 61
> ("Ascend unto My heaven")
> 
> 62
> ("Many a day hath passed over thee")
> 
> 63
> ("The light hath shone on thee")
> 
> 64
> ("My eternity is My creation")
> 
> 65
> ("My majesty is My gift to thee")
> 
> 66
> ("Ye shall be hindered from loving Me")
> 
> 67
> ("By My spirit and by My favor!")
> 
> 68
> ("Know ye not why We created you")
> 
> 69
> ("Ye are My treasury")
> 
> 70
> ("Know thou, that I have wafted unto thee")
> 
> 71
> ("Write all that We have revealed unto thee")
> 
> Part II—From the Persian
> 
> Preamble ("In the Name of the Lord")
> 
> 1
> ("The first call of the Beloved")
> 
> 2
> ("The bird seeketh its nest")
> 
> 3
> ("In the garden of thy heart")
> 
> 4
> ("Whither can a lover go")
> 
> 5
> ("Verily I say unto thee")
> 
> 6
> ("Know, verily, the heart wherein")
> 
> 7
> ("Thou art but one step away")
> 
> 8
> ("Be swift in the path of holiness")
> 
> 9
> ("Pass beyond the baser stages")
> 
> 10
> ("Give ear unto this")
> 
> 11
> ("Blind thine eyes")
> 
> 12
> ("Close one eye and open the other")
> 
> 13
> ("I fear lest, bereft of the melody")
> 
> 14
> ("Abandon not the everlasting beauty")
> 
> 15
> ("The time cometh, when the nightingale")
> 
> 16
> ("Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance")
> 
> 17
> ("The gates that open on the Placeless")
> 
> 18
> ("Proclaim unto the children of assurance")
> 
> 19
> ("Have ye forgotten that true and radiant")
> 
> 20
> ("Ages have passed and your precious lives")
> 
> 21
> ("I desire communion with thee")
> 
> 22
> ("The learned and the wise")
> 
> 23
> ("Mortal blasts have beset")
> 
> 24
> ("Wherefore do ye wear the guise")
> 
> 25
> ("Ye are like clear but bitter water")
> 
> 26
> ("Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard ")
> 
> 27
> ("All that is in heaven and earth")
> 
> 28
> ("At many a dawn have I turned")
> 
> 29
> ("Out of the wastes of nothingness")
> 
> 30
> ("Many a dawn hath the breeze")
> 
> 31
> ("Wouldst thou have Me")
> 
> 32
> ("The candle of thine heart")
> 
> 33
> ("Hearken to the delightsome words")
> 
> 34
> ("With the hands of loving-kindness")
> 
> 35
> ("Quench ye the lamp of error")
> 
> 36
> ("The wise are they that speak not")
> 
> 37
> ("Abandon not for that which perisheth")
> 
> 38
> ("Burst thy cage asunder")
> 
> 39
> ("Be not content with the ease")
> 
> 40
> ("Free thyself from the fetters")
> 
> 41
> ("Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty")
> 
> 42
> ("Purge thy heart from malice")
> 
> 43
> ("Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure")
> 
> 44
> ("Hear no evil, and see no evil")
> 
> 45
> ("Even as the swiftness of lightning")
> 
> 46
> ("Wherefore have ye neglected")
> 
> 47
> ("Put away the garment of vainglory")
> 
> 48
> ("Be forbearing one with another")
> 
> 49
> ("Tell the rich of the midnight sighing")
> 
> 50
> ("Put away all covetousness")
> 
> 51
> ("Be not troubled in poverty")
> 
> 52
> ("Ye have suffered My enemy")
> 
> 53
> ("Know ye in thruth that wealth")
> 
> 54
> ("The poor in your midst are My trust")
> 
> 55
> ("Cleanse thyself from the defilement")
> 
> 56
> ("The company of the ungodly")
> 
> 57
> ("Beware! Walk not with the ungodly")
> 
> 58
> ("Wouldst thou seek the grace")
> 
> 59
> ("Think not the secrets of hearts")
> 
> 60
> ("Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed")
> 
> 61
> ("A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean")
> 
> 62
> ("Turn not away thine eyes")
> 
> 63
> ("Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity")
> 
> 64
> ("Withdraw your hands from tyranny")
> 
> 65
> ("My forbearance hath emboldened you")
> 
> 66
> ("The tongue I have designed")
> 
> 67
> ("Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn")
> 
> 68
> ("Wherefore have not these soiled hands")
> 
> 69
> ("Holy words and pure and goodly deeds")
> 
> 70
> ("Pleasant is the realm of being")
> 
> 71
> ("Call ye to mind that covenant")
> 
> 72
> ("Thou art even as a finely tempered sword")
> 
> 73
> ("Thou art the daystar of the heavens")
> 
> 74
> ("For a fleeting sovereignty ye have")
> 
> 75
> ("Set not your affections on mortal")
> 
> 76
> ("Guidance hath ever been given by words")
> 
> 77
> ("In the night-season the beauty of the ")
> 
> 78
> ("Quaff from the tongue of the merciful")
> 
> 79
> ("How long wilt thou soar in the realms")
> 
> 80
> ("Ye are the trees of My garden")
> 
> 81
> ("The basest of men are they that yield no")
> 
> 82
> ("The best of men are they that earn")
> 
> Conclusion ("The mystic and wondrous Bride")
> 
> 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 fulfil 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 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 the knowledge of thy neighbour.
> Ponder this in thy heart how it behoveth 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.
> 
> 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 behoveth thee to glory in My name, not 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.
> 
> 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 favour 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 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.
> 
> 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, 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 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.
> 
> 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.
> 
> 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 splendour. 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 MAN!
> 
> The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful
> tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou
> 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.
> 
> 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.
> 
> 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 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.
> 
> 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 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 splendour 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 arise above thee, radiant and
> resplendent.
> 
> 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 has 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 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 any one 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 favour! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have
> revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for 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.
> 
> 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.
> 
> 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 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 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 savours 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.
> 
> 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 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.
> 
> 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 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 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 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 own 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 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.
> 
> 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, the
> sunbeam 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 desire 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 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 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 favour. 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.
> 
> 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 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 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 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 SPRIT!
> 
> 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.
> 
> 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.
> 
> 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 nor 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.
> 
> 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
> imaginings, 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 savours 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!
> 
> 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 affection 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.
> 
> 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 has
> 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 day-star of the word of truth and faithfulness,
> that hath dawned above the horizon 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 splendour 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 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 cleaneth 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.
> 
> 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 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 favour, 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 everyone 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 immortal Beloved, and open
> them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from the hands of the 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 is following you and that grievous
> retribution awaiteth you. Think not the deeds ye have committed have been
> blotted from My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with
> open characters upon tablets of chrysolite.
> [See discussion of translation of this passage at
> bahai-library.com/uhj_hidden_words_pup
> .]
> 
> 64. O OPPRESSORS OF 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 it with My seal of glory.
> 
> 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 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 everyone 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 might 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.
> 
> 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 favour 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 day-star 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 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 day-star of the heavens of My holiness, let not the defilement of
> the world eclipse thy splendour. 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 with the gay livery of the world and made of it your boast.
> By My beauty! All will I gather beneath the one-coloured covering of the dust
> and efface all these diverse colours save them that choose My own, and that is
> purging from every colour.
> 
> 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 colour 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 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-Muntahá, 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 the 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 to that which they have done and are now 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 splendour of the day-star
> 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
> 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
> 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.
> 
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