Hidden Word of Baha’u’llah

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Hidden Word

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Bahaullah


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Title: Kalamat-e-Maknoone

The Hidden Words.

By Bahaullah:

Translated byShoghi Effendi.

Language: English

ISBN 10: 0877430071


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82O MY SERVAN! Te best omen are they that earn alivelihood by their calling and spend upon themselvesand upon their kindred or the love o God, the Lord oall worlds. Te mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden erethis beneath the veiling o utterance, hath now, by thegrace o God and His divine avor, been made mani-est even as the resplendent light shed by the beauty othe Beloved. I bear witness, O riends! that the avor iscomplete, the argument ulflled, the proo maniest andthe evidence established. Let it now be seen what yourendeavors in the path o detachment will reveal. In thiswise hath the divine avor been ully vouchsaed untoyou and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. Allpraise to God, the Lord o all Worlds.

PREFACE

Tere is a Shia Muslim tradition called Musha oFatimah, which speaks o Fatimah upon the passing o

her ather, Muhammad. Tere are several versions o thistradition, but common to all are that the angel Gabrielappeared to her and consoled her by telling her thingsthat she wrote in a book. According to one traditionthey were prophesies. Te book, i ever physical, did notsurvive, and was seen to be something that the Mahdiwould reveal in the last days.

Bahs believe that Te Hidden Words was revealedby Bahullh in ulfllment o this tradition. IndeedBahullh originally named the book Te Book oFatimah, though he later reerred to it in its modern ap-pellation. Tis aspect o ulfllment corresponds with theBah belies that end times prophesies o all the worldsreligions are to be interpreted mystically and metaphori-cally. Tis puts the Bah understanding o what Gabriel

revealed to Fatimah somewhat at odds with the Shiatraditions.


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Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest yto the realms o mystic holiness and not the regions osatanic ancy. Te comb, too, have I given thee that thoumayest dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My throat.

80O MY SERVANS! Ye are thetrees o My garden; ye mustgive orth goodly and wondrous ruits, that ye yourselves

and others may proft thererom.Tus it is incumbent on every one to engage in cratsand proessions, or therein lies the secret o wealth, Omen o understanding! For results depend upon means,and the grace o God shall be all-su cient unto you.

rees that yield no ruit have been and will ever be orthe fre.

81O MY SERVAN! Te basest omen are they that yield noruit on earth.

Such men are verily counted as among the dead, naybetter are the dead in the sight o God than those idleand worthless souls.


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made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hillo aithulness, yet inhaled not rom them that dwell onearth the ragrance o fdelity. Ten summoned to returnI beheld, and lo! certain doves o holiness were sore tried

within the claws o the dogs o earth. Tereupon theMaid o heaven hastened orth unveiled and resplendentrom Her mystic mansion, and asked o their names,and all were told but one. And when urged, the frst let-ter thereo was uttered, whereupon the dwellers o thecelestial chambers rushed orth out o their habitation o

glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced theyell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment avoice was heard rom the inmost shrine: Tus ar andno arther. Verily We bear witness to that which theyhave done and now are doing.

78O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quarom the tongue o the merciul thestream o divine mystery, and behold rom the dayspringo divine utterance the unveiled splendor o the daystaro wisdom. Sow the seeds o My divine wisdom in the

pure soil o the heart, and water them with the waters ocertitude, that the hyacinths o knowledge and wisdommay spring up resh and green rom the holy city o theheart.

79O SON OF DESIRE! How long wiltthou soar in the realms o desire?

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PAR I.--FROM HE ARABICPreamble

HE IS HE GLORY OF GLORIES

Tis is that which hath descended rom the realm oglory, uttered by the tongue o power and might, andrevealed unto the Prophets o old. We have taken theinner essence thereo and clothed it in the garment obrevity, as a token o grace unto the righteous, that theymay stand aithul unto the Covenant o God, may ulfllin their lives His trust, and in the realm o spirit obtainthe gem o Divine virtue._

1O SON OF SPIRI! My frst counsel isthis: Possess a pure, kindly and radi-ant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, im-

perishable and everlasting.

2O SON OF SPIRI! Te best belovedo all things in My sight is Justice;turn not away thererom i thou desirest Me, and neglectit not that I may confde in thee. By its aid thou shaltsee with thine own eyes and not through the eyes oothers, and shalt know o thine own knowledge and notthrough the knowledge o thy neighbor. Ponder this in

thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice isMy git to thee and the sign o My loving-kindness. Setit then beore thine eyes.


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3O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My im-memorial being and in the ancienteternity o My essence, I knew My love or thee; there-ore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine imageand revealed to thee My beauty.

4O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation,hence I created thee. Whereore, dothou love Me, that I may name thy name and fll thysoul with the spirit o lie.

5O SON OF BEING! Love Me, that Imay love thee. I thou lovest Me not,My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

6O SON OF BEING! Ty Paradise isMy love; thy heavenly home, reunionwith Me. Enter therein and tarry not. Tis is that which

hath been destined or thee in Our kingdom above andOur exalted dominion.

7O SON OF MAN! I thou lovest Me,turn away rom thysel; and i thou

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colors save them that choose My own, and that is purg-ing rom every color.

75O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE! Setnot your aections on mortal sovereign-ty and rejoice not therein. Ye are even as the unwary birdthat with ull confdence warbleth upon the bough; tillo a sudden the owler Death throws it upon the dust,and the melody, the orm and the color are gone, leavingnot a trace. Whereore take heed, O bondslaves o desire!

76O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Guid-ance hath ever been given by words,and now it is given by deeds. Every one must show orthdeeds that are pure and holy, or words are the propertyo all alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only toOur loved ones. Strive then with heart and soul to dis-tinguish yourselves by your deeds. In this wise We coun-sel you in this holy and resplendent tablet.

77O SON OF JUSICE! In the night-season the beauty o the immortalBeing hath repaired rom the emerald height o fdel-ity unto the Sadratul-Muntah, and wept with such a

weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers othe realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereuponthere was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He


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the concourse on high and the dwellers in the city oeternity, yet now none do I fnd aithul unto the cov-enant. O a certainty pride and rebellion have eaced itrom the hearts, in such wise that no trace thereo re-

maineth. Yet knowing this, I waited and disclosed it not.

72O MY SERVAN! Tou arteven as a fnely temperedsword concealed in the darkness o its sheath and itsvalue hidden rom the artifcers knowledge. Whereorecome orth rom the sheath o sel and desire that thyworth may be made resplendent and maniest unto allthe world.

73O MY FRIEND! Tou art thedaystar o the heavens oMy holiness, let not the deflement o the world eclipsethy splendor. Rend asunder the veil o heedlessness, thatrom behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendentand array all things with the apparel o lie.

74O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY! For aeeting sovereignty ye have abandonedMy imperishable dominion, and have adorned yourselves

with the gay livery o the world and made o it yourboast. By My beauty! All will I gather beneath the one-colored covering o the dust and eace all these diverse

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seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thoumayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.

8O SON OF SPIRI! Tere is no peaceor thee save by renouncing thyseland turning unto Me; or it behooveth thee to glory inMy name, not in thine own; to put thy trust in Me andnot in thysel, since I desire to be loved alone and aboveall that is.

9O SON OF BEING! My love is Mystronghold; he that entereth thereinis sae and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely

stray and perish.

10O SON OF UERANCE! Tou artMy stronghold; enter therein thatthou mayest abide in saety. My love is in thee, know it,

that thou mayest fnd Me near unto thee.

11O SON OF BEING! Tou art My lampand My light is in thee. Get thourom it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. ForI have created thee rich and have bountiully shed Myavor upon thee.


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12O SON OF BEING! With the handso power I made thee and with thefngers o strength I created thee; and within thee haveI placed the essence o My light. Be thou content withit and seek naught else, or My work is perect and Mycommand is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubtthereo.

13O SON OF SPIRI! I created thee rich,why dost thou bring thysel down topoverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abasethysel? Out o the essence o knowledge I gave theebeing, why seekest thou enlightenment rom anyone

beside Me? Out o the clay o love I molded thee, howdost thou busy thysel with another? urn thy sight untothysel, that thou mayest fnd Me standing within thee,mighty, powerul and sel-subsisting.

14O SON OF MAN! Tou art My do-minion and My dominion perishethnot; whereore earest thou thy perishing? Tou art Mylight and My light shall never be extinguished; why dostthou dread extinction? Tou art My glory and My gloryadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be

outworn. Abide then in thy love or Me, that thou may-est fnd Me in the realm o glory.

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and to enter My sacred realm? Far, ar are ye rom thatwhich ye desire.

69O CHILDREN OF ADAM! Holy wordsand pure and goodly deeds ascend untothe heaven o celestial glory. Strive that your deeds maybe cleansed rom the dust o sel and hypocrisy and fndavor at the court o glory; or ere long the assayers omankind shall, in the holy presence o the Adored One,accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds o stainlesspurity. Tis is the daystar o wisdom and o divine mys-tery that hath shone above the horizon o the divine will.Blessed are they that turn thereunto.

70O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleas-ant is the realm o being, wert thouto attain thereto; glorious is the domain o eternity,shouldst thou pass beyond the world o mortality; sweetis the holy ecstasy i thou drinkest o the mystic chalicerom the hands o the celestial Youth. Shouldst thou at-tain this station, thou wouldst be reed rom destructionand death, rom toil and sin.

71O MY FRIENDS! Call ye tomind that covenant ye haveentered into with Me upon Mount Paran, situate within

the hallowed precincts o Zaman. I have taken to witness

T dd d f h ll h


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65O REBELLIOUS ONES! Myorbearance hath emboldenedyou and My long-suering hath made you negligent, insuch wise that ye have spurred on the fery charger opassion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction.Have ye thought Me heedless or that I was unaware?

66O EMIGRANS! Te tongue I have de-signed or the mention o Me, defleit not with detraction. I the fre o sel overcome you,remember your own aults and not the aults o My crea-tures, inasmuch as every one o you knoweth his own selbetter than he knoweth others.

67O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, ver-ily, that while the radiant dawn breakethabove the horizon o eternal holiness, the satanic secretsand deeds done in the gloom o night shall be laid bare

and maniest beore the peoples o the world.

68O WEED HA SPRINGEHOU OF DUS! Whereorehave not these soiled hands o thine touched frst thine

own garment, and why with thine heart defled withdesire and passion dost thou seek to commune with Me

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15O SON OF UERANCE! urn thyace unto Mine and renounce allsave Me; or My sovereignty endureth and My domin-ion perisheth not. I thou seekest another than Me, yea,i thou searchest the universe or evermore, thy quest willbe in vain.

16O SON OF LIGH! Forget all save Meand commune with My spirit. Tis iso the essence o My command, thereore turn unto it.

17O SON OF MAN! Be thou contentwith Me and seek no other helper.For none but Me can ever su ce thee.

18O SON OF SPIRI! Ask not o Methat which We desire not or thee,then be content with what We have ordained or thy

sake, or this is that which profteth thee, i therewiththou dost content thysel.

19O SON OF HE WONDROUS VI-SION! I have breathed within thee a

T Hidd W d f B h ll h


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breath o My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My lover.Why hast thou orsaken Me and sought a beloved otherthan Me?

20O SON OF SPIRI! My claim on theeis great, it cannot be orgotten. Mygrace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My lovehas made in thee its home, it cannot be concealed. Mylight is maniest to thee, it cannot be obscured.

21O SON OF MAN! Upon the tree oeulgent glory I have hung or theethe choicest ruits, whereore hast thou turned away and

contented thysel with that which is less good? Returnthen unto that which is better or thee in the realm onhigh.

22O SON OF SPIRI! Noble have I cre-ated thee, yet thou hast abased thy-sel.

Rise then unto that or which thou wast created.

23O SON OF HE SUPREME! o theeternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek

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62O SON OF DUS! urn not awaythine eyes rom the matchless wineo the immortal Beloved, and open them not to oul andmortal dregs. ake rom the hands o the divine Cup-bearer the chalice o immortal lie, that all wisdom maybe thine, and that thou mayest hearken unto the mysticvoice calling rom the realm o the invisible. Cry aloud,ye that are o low aim! Whereore have ye turned awayrom My holy and immortal wine unto evanescent wa-

ter?

63O YE PEOPLES OF HE WORLD!Know, verily, that an unoreseen ca-lamity olloweth you, and grievous retribution awaitethyou. Tink not that which ye have committed hath beeneaced in My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hathMy pen graven with open characters upon tablets ochrysolite.

64O OPPRESSORS ON EARH! With-draw your hands rom tyranny, or Ihave pledged Mysel not to orgive any mans injustice.Tis is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed inthe preserved tablet and sealed with My seal.



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immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn dothquicken and illumine the hearts o the dead.

59O HEEDLESS ONES! Tink notthe secrets o hearts are hidden,nay, know ye o a certainty that in clear characters theyare engraved and are openly maniest in the holy Pres-ence.

60O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoeverye have concealed within yourhearts is to Us open and maniest as the day; but thatit is hidden is o Our grace and avor, and not o your

deserving.

61O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out othe athomless ocean o My mercy Ihave shed upon the peoples o the world, yet ound none

turn thereunto, inasmuch as every one hath turned awayrom the celestial wine o unity unto the oul dregs oimpurity, and, content with mortal cup, hath put awaythe chalice o immortal beauty. Vile is that wherewith heis contented.

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that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn awayrom Our desire and seek thine own?

24O SON OF MAN! ransgress not thylimits, nor claim that which be-seemeth thee not. Prostrate thysel beore the counte-nance o thy God, the Lord o might and power.

25O SON OF SPIRI! Vaunt not thyselover the poor, or I lead him on hisway and behold thee in thy evil plight and conoundthee or evermore.

26O SON OF BEING! How couldst thouorget thine own aults and busythysel with the aults o others? Whoso doeth this isaccursed o Me.

27O SON OF MAN! Breathe not the sinso others so long as thou art thysel asinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursedwouldst thou be and to this I bear witness.



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28O SON OF SPIRI! Know thou o atruth: He that biddeth men be justand himsel committeth iniquity is not o Me, eventhough he bear My name.

29O SON OF BEING! Ascribe not to anysoul that which thou wouldst nothave ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doestnot. Tis is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.

30O SON OF MAN! Deny not My ser-vant should he ask anything romthee, or his ace is My ace; be then abashed beore Me.

31O SON OF BEING! Bring thysel toaccount each day ere thou art sum-moned to a reckoning; or death, unheralded, shall comeupon thee and thou shalt be called to give account orthy deeds.

32O SON OF HE SUPREME! I havemade death a messenger o joy to

thee.

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55O SON OF PASSION! Cleanse thyselrom the deflement o riches andin perect peace advance into the realm o poverty; thatrom the well-spring o detachment thou mayest quathe wine o immortal lie.

56O MY SON! Te company o theungodly increaseth sorrow,

whilst ellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rustrom o the heart. He that seeketh to commune withGod, let him betake himsel to the companionship oHis loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto theword o God, let him give ear to the words o His cho-

sen ones.

57O SON OF DUS! Beware! Walk notwith the ungodly and seek not el-lowship with him, or such companionship turneth the

radiance o the heart into inernal fre.

58O SON OF MY HANDMAID!Wouldst thou seek the grace o theHoly Spirit, enter into ellowship with the righteous, or

he hath drunk the cup o eternal lie at the hands o the

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towards His paradise. Worldly riends, seeking theirown good, appear to love one the other, whereas the trueFriend hath loved and doth love you or your own sakes;indeed He hath suered or your guidance countless a-

ictions. Be not disloyal to such a Friend, nay rather has-ten unto Him. Such is the daystar o the word o truthand aithulness, that hath dawned above the horizon othe pen o the Lord o all names. Open your ears that yemay hearken unto the word o God, the Help in peril,the Sel-existent.

53O YE HA PRIDE YOURSELVESON MORAL RICHES! Know ye intruth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seekerand his desire, the lover and his beloved. Te rich, but or

a ew, shall in no wise attain the court o His presencenor enter the city o content and resignation. Well is itthen with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by hisriches rom the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by themo imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name!Te splendor o such a wealthy man shall illuminate the

dwellers o heaven even as the sun enlightens the peopleo the earth!

54O YE RICH ONES ON EARH! Tepoor in your midst are My trust; guardye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.

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Whereore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed onthee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thysel thererom?

33O SON OF SPIRI! With the joyultidings o light I hail thee: rejoice!o the court o holiness I summon thee; abide thereinthat thou mayest live in peace or evermore.

34O SON OF SPIRI! Te spirit o holi-ness beareth unto thee the joyul tid-ings o reunion; whereore dost thou grieve? Te spirit opower confrmeth thee in His cause; why dost thou veilthysel? Te light o His countenance doth lead thee;

how canst thou go astray?

35O SON OF MAN! Sorrow not save thatthou art ar rom Us. Rejoice notsave that thou art drawing near and returning unto Us.

36O SON OF MAN! Rejoice in the glad-ness o thine heart, that thou mayestbe worthy to meet Me and to mirror orth My beauty.



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37O SON OF MAN! Divest not thyselo My beauteous robe, and oreitnot thy portion rom My wondrous ountain, lest thoushouldst thirst or evermore.

38O SON OF BEING! Walk in My stat-utes or love o Me and deny thyselthat which thou desirest i thou seekest My pleasure.

39O SON OF MAN! Neglect not Mycommandments i thou lovest Mybeauty, and orget not My counsels i thou wouldst at-

tain My good pleasure.

40O SON OF MAN! Wert thou to speedthrough the immensity o space andtraverse the expanse o heaven, yet thou wouldst fnd norest save in submission to Our command and humble-ness beore Our Face.

41O SON OF MAN! Magniy My causethat I may reveal unto thee the

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heedlessness lead them into the path o destruction, anddeprive them o the ree o Wealth. o give and to begenerous are attributes o Mine; well is it with him thatadorneth himsel with My virtues.

50O QUINESSENCE OF PASSION! Putaway all covetousness and seek con-tentment; or the covetous hath ever been deprived, andthe contented hath ever been loved and praised.

51O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be nottroubled in poverty nor confdent inriches, or poverty is ollowed by riches, and riches are

ollowed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is awondrous git, belittle not the value thereo, or in theend it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shaltknow the meaning o the utterance, In truth ye are thepoor, and the holy words, God is the all-possessing,shall even as the true morn break orth gloriously re-splendent upon the horizon o the lovers heart, andabide secure on the throne o wealth.

52O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE ANDPASSION! Ye have suered My enemyto enter My house and have cast out My riend, or yehave enshrined the love o another than Me in yourhearts. Give ear to the sayings o the Friend and turn



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46O BREHREN IN HE PAH!Whereore have ye neglected themention o the Loved One, and kept remote rom Hisholy presence? Te essence o beauty is within the peer-less pavilion, set upon the throne o glory, whilst ye busyyourselves with idle contentions. Te sweet savors o ho-liness are breathing and the breath o bounty is wated,yet ye are all sorely a icted and deprived thereo. Alasor you and or them that walk in your ways and ollow

in your ootsteps!

47O CHILDREN OF DESIRE! Put away thegarment o vainglory, and divest your-selves o the attire o haughtiness.

48Inthe third o the most holy lines writ and re-corded in the Ruby ablet by the pen o theunseen this is revealed: O BREHREN! Be orbearing

one with another and set not your aections on thingsbelow. Pride not yourselves in your glory, and be notashamed o abasement. By My beauty! I have created allthings rom dust, and to dust will I return them again.

49O CHILDREN OF DUS! ell the richo the midnight sighing o the poor, lest

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mysteries o My greatness and shine upon thee with thelight o eternity.

42O SON OF MAN! Humble thysel be-ore Me, that I may graciously visitthee.

Arise or the triumph o My cause, that while yet onearth thou mayest obtain the victory.

43O SON OF BEING! Make mention oMe on My earth, that in My heavenI may remember thee, thus shall Mine eyes and thine besolaced.

44O SON OF HE HRONE! Tyhearing is My hearing, hear thoutherewith. Ty sight is My sight, do thou see therewith,

that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testiy unto Myexalted sanctity, and I within Mysel may bear witnessunto an exalted station or thee.

45O SON OF BEING! Seek a martyrsdeath in My path, content with Mypleasure and thankul or that which I ordain, that thou



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mayest repose with Me beneath the canopy o majestybehind the tabernacle o glory.

46O SON OF MAN! Ponder and reect.Is it thy wish to die upon thy bed, orto shed thy lie-blood on the dust, a martyr in My path,and so become the maniestation o My command andthe revealer o My light in the highest paradise? Judgethou aright, O servant!

47O SON OF MAN! By My beauty!o tinge thy hair with thy blood isgreater in My sight than the creation o the universe and

the light o both worlds.Strive then to attain this, O servant!

48O SON OF MAN! For everything thereis a sign. Te sign o love is ortitudeunder My decree and patience under My trials.

49O SON OF MAN! Te true lover year-neth or tribulation even as doth therebel or orgiveness and the sinul or mercy.

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44O COMPANION OF MY HRONE!Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase notthysel, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thoumayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magniy notthe aults o others that thine own aults may not appeargreat; and wish not the abasement o anyone, that thineown abasement be not exposed. Live then the days othy lie, that are less than a eeting moment, with thymind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure,

and thy nature sanctifed, so that, ree and content, thoumayest put away this mortal rame, and repair unto themystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom orevermore.

45ALAS! ALAS! OLOVERS OFWORLDLY DESIRE! Even as the switness o light-ning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have setyour hearts on satanic ancies. Ye bow the knee beoreyour vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye turn your eyes

towards the thorn, and name it a ower. Not a purebreath have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze o detach-ment been wated rom the meadows o your hearts. Yehave cast to the winds the loving counsels o the Belovedand have eaced them utterly rom the tablet o yourhearts, and even as the beasts o the feld, ye move and

have your being within the pastures o desire and pas-sion.



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40O MY SERVAN! Free thy-sel rom the etters o thisworld, and loose thy soul rom the prison o sel. Seizethy chance, or it will come to thee no more.

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thou...O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Didstthou behold immortal sovereignty,thou wouldst strive to pass rom this eeting world. But

to conceal the one rom thee and to reveal the other is amystery which none but the pure in heart can compre-hend.

42O MY SERVAN! Purge thyheart rom malice and, in-nocent o envy, enter the divine court o holiness.

43O MY FRIENDS! Walk ye inthe ways o the good plea-sure o the Friend, and know that His pleasure is in thepleasure o His creatures. Tat is: no man should enterthe house o his riend save at his riends pleasure, norlay hands upon his treasures nor preer his own will to

his riends, and in no wise seek an advantage over him.Ponder this, ye that have insight!

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50O SON OF MAN! I adversity beallthee not in My path, how canst thouwalk in the ways o them that are content with My plea-sure? I trials a ict thee not in thy longing to meet Me,how wilt thou attain the light in thy love or My beauty?

51O SON OF MAN! My calamity is Myprovidence, outwardly it is fre and

vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hastenthereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light andan immortal spirit. Tis is My command unto thee, dothou observe it.

52O SON OF MAN! Should prosperitybeall thee, rejoice not, and shouldabasement come upon thee, grieve not, or both shallpass away and be no more.

53O SON OF BEING! I poverty over-take thee, be not sad; or in time theLord o wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement, orglory shall one day rest on thee.



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54O SON OF BEING! I thine heart beset upon this eternal, imperishabledominion, and this ancient, everlasting lie, orsake thismortal and eeting sovereignty.

55O SON OF BEING! Busy not thyselwith this world, or with fre We testthe gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

56O SON OF MAN! Tou dost wish orgold and I desire thy reedom romit.

Tou thinkest thysel rich in its possession, and I rec-ognize thy wealth in thy sanctity thererom. By My lie!Tis is My knowledge, and that is thy ancy; how canMy way accord with thine?

57O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealthupon My poor, that in heaven thoumayest draw rom stores o unading splendor and trea-sures o imperishable glory.

But by My lie! o oer up thy soul is a more gloriousthing couldst thou but see with Mine eye.

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keep them hidden, till the hyacinths o divine wisdomspring rom the heart and not rom mire and clay.

37Inthe frst line o the ablet it is recorded andwritten, and within the sanctuary o thetabernacle o God is hidden: O MY SERVAN! Aban-don not or that which perisheth an everlasting domin-ion, and cast not away celestial sovereignty or a worldlydesire. Tis is the river o everlasting lie that hathowed rom the well-spring o the pen o the merciul;well is it with them that drink!

38O SON OF SPIRI! Burst thy cageasunder, and even as the phoenix olove soar into the frmament o holiness. Renounce thy-

sel and, flled with the spirit o mercy, abide in the realmo celestial sanctity.

39O OFFSPRING OF DUS! Be notcontent with the ease o a passingday, and deprive not thysel o everlasting rest. Barter notthe garden o eternal delight or the dust-heap o a mor-tal world. Up rom thy prison ascend unto the gloriousmeads above, and rom thy mortal cage wing thy ight

unto the paradise o the Placeless.



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ter them with the water o certitude, that the hyacinthso My knowledge and wisdom may spring up resh andgreen in the sacred city o thy heart.

34O DWELLERS OF MY PARA-DISE! With the hands o lov-ing-kindness I have planted in the holy garden o para-dise the young tree o your love and riendship, and havewatered it with the goodly showers o My tender grace;now that the hour o its ruiting is come, strive that itmay be protected, and be not consumed with the ameo desire and passion.

35O MY FRIENDS! Quench yethe lamp o error, and kindlewithin your hearts the everlasting torch o divine guid-ance. For ere long the assayers o mankind shall, in theholy presence o the Adored, accept naught but purestvirtue and deeds o stainless holiness.

36O SON OF DUS! Te wise are theythat speak not unless they obtain ahearing, even as the cup-bearer, who proereth not hiscup till he fndeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not

out rom the depths o his heart until he gazeth uponthe beauty o his beloved. Whereore sow the seeds owisdom and knowledge in the pure soil o the heart, and

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58O SON OF MAN! Te temple o beingis My throne; cleanse it o all things,that there I may be established and there I may abide.

59O SON OF BEING! Ty heart is Myhome; sanctiy it or My descent. Tyspirit is My place o revelation; cleanse it or My mani-

estation.

60O SON OF MAN! Put thy hand intoMy bosom, that I may rise abovethee, radiant and resplendent.

61O SON OF MAN! Ascend unto Myheaven, that thou mayest obtain thejoy o reunion, and rom the chalice o imperishableglory qua the peerless wine.

62O SON OF MAN! Many a day hathpassed over thee whilst thou hastbusied thysel with thy ancies and idle imaginings. How

long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lit up thy head



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rom slumber, or the Sun hath risen to the zenith, haplyit may shine upon thee with the light o beauty.

63O SON OF MAN! Te light hathshone on thee rom the horizono the sacred Mount and the spirit o enlightenmenthath breathed in the Sinai o thy heart. Whereore, reethysel rom the veils o idle ancies and enter into Mycourt, that thou mayest be ft or everlasting lie and

worthy to meet Me. Tus may death not come uponthee, neither weariness nor trouble.

64O SON OF MAN! My eternity is Mycreation, I have created it or thee.Make it the garment o thy temple. My unity is My

handiwork; I have wrought it or thee; clothe thyseltherewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity the revela-tion o My everlasting being.

65O SON OF MAN! My majesty is Mygit to thee, and My grandeur the to-ken o My mercy unto thee. Tat which beseemeth Menone shall understand, nor can anyone recount. Verily, Ihave preserved it in My hidden storehouses and in the

treasuries o My command, as a sign o My loving-kind-ness unto My servants and My mercy unto My people.

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30O BOND SLAVE OF HEWORLD! Many a dawn haththe breeze o My loving-kindness wated over thee andound thee upon the bed o heedlessness ast asleep. Be-wailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.

31O SON OF EARH! Wouldst thouhave Me, seek none other than Me;and wouldst thou gaze upon My beauty, close thine eyes

to the world and all that is therein; or My will and thewill o another than Me, even as fre and water, cannotdwell together in one heart.

32O BEFRIENDED SRANGER!Te candle o thine heart islighted by the hand o My power, quench it not with thecontrary winds o sel and passion. Te healer o all thineills is remembrance o Me, orget it not. Make My love

thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very sight and lie.

33O MY BROHER! Hearkento the delightsome wordso My honeyed tongue, and qua the stream o mystic

holiness rom My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds oMy divine wisdom in the pure soil o thy heart, and wa-



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28O ESSENCE OF DESIRE! At many adawn have I turned rom the realms othe Placeless unto thine abode, and ound thee on thebed o ease busied with others than Mysel. Tereupon,even as the ash o the spirit, I returned to the realms ocelestial glory and breathed it not in My retreats aboveunto the hosts o holiness.

29O SON OF BOUNY! Out o thewastes o nothingness, with the clayo My command I made thee to appear, and have or-dained or thy training every atom in existence and theessence o all created things. Tus, ere thou didst issuerom thy mothers womb, I destined or thee two ountso gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and heartsto love thee. Out o My loving-kindness, neath theshade o My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded theeby the essence o My grace and avor. And My purposein all this was that thou mightest attain My everlastingdominion and become worthy o My invisible bestow-

als. And yet heedless thou didst remain, and when ullygrown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupiedthysel with thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thoudidst become wholly orgetul, and, turning away romthe portals o the Friend didst abide within the courts oMy enemy.

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66O CHILDREN OF HE DIVINE ANDINVISIBLE ESSENCE! Ye shall behindered rom loving Me and souls shall be perturbed asthey make mention o Me. For minds cannot grasp Menor hearts contain Me.

67O SON OF BEAUY! By My spiritand by My avor! By My mercy andby My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with

the tongue o power, and have written or thee with thepen o might, hath been in accordance with thy capacityand understanding, not with My state and the melody oMy voice.

68O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye notwhy We created you all rom the samedust?

That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all

times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have createdyou 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.



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69O YE SONS OF SPIRI! Ye are Mytreasury, or in you I have treasured thepearls o My mysteries and the gems o My knowledge.Guard them rom the strangers amidst My servants androm the ungodly amongst My people.

70O SON OF HIM HA SOODBY HIS OWN ENIY IN HEKINGDOM OF HIS SELF! Know thou, that I have

wated unto thee all the ragrances o holiness, have ullyrevealed to thee My word, have perected through theeMy bounty and have desired or thee that which I havedesired or My Sel. Be then content with My pleasureand thankul unto Me.

71O SON OF MAN! Write all that Wehave revealed unto thee with theink o light upon the tablet o thy spirit. Should this not

be in thy power, then make thine ink o the essence othy heart. I this thou canst not do, then write with thatcrimson ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter in-deed is this to Me than all else, that its light may endureor ever.

PAR II--FROM HE PERSIAN

Preamble

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25O YE SEEMING FAIR YE INWARD-LY FOUL! Ye are like clear but bitterwater, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but owhich, when tested by the divine Assayer, not a drop isaccepted. Yea, the sun beam alls alike upon the dust andthe mirror, yet dier they in reection even as doth thestar rom the earth: nay, immeasurable is the dierence!

26O MY FRIEND IN WORD!Ponder awhile. Hast thouever heard that riend and oe should abide in one heart?Cast out then the stranger, that the Friend may enterHis home.

27O SON OF DUS! All that is inheaven and earth I have ordainedor thee, except the human heart, which I have made thehabitation o My beauty and glory; yet thou didst give

My home and dwelling to another than Me; and when-ever the maniestation o My holiness sought His ownabode, a stranger ound He there, and, homeless, has-tened unto the sanctuary o the Beloved.

Notwithstanding I have concealed thy secret and desirednot thy shame.



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Tou without the least eort didst attain thy goal, andwithout search hast obtained the object o thy quest.Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst remain so wrapt in theveil o sel, that thine eyes beheld not the beauty o the

Beloved, nor did thy hand touch the hem o His robe. Yethat have eyes, behold and wonder.

23O DWELLERS IN HE CIYOF LOVE! Mortal blasts havebeset the everlasting candle, and the beauty o the celes-tial Youth is veiled in the darkness o dust. Te chie othe monarchs o love is wronged by the people o tyr-anny and the dove o holiness lies prisoned in the talonso owls. Te dwellers in the pavilion o glory and thecelestial concourse bewail and lament, while ye repose in

the realm o negligence, and esteem yourselves as o thetrue riends. How vain are your imaginings!

24O YE HA ARE FOOLISH, YEHAVE A NAME O BE WISE!Whereore do ye wear the guise o shepherds, wheninwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My ock?Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, andwhich, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth thewayarers o My city astray into the paths o perdition.

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In the Name o the Lord o Utterance, Te Mighty.

1O YE PEOPLE HA HAVE MINDSO KNOW AND EARS OHEAR! Te frst call o the Beloved is this: O mysticnightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden o thespirit. O messenger o the Solomon o love! Seek thouno shelter except in the Sheba o the well-beloved, andO immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount o

aithulness. Terein is thy habitation, i on the wingso thy soul thou soarest to the realm o the infnite andseekest to attain thy goal.

2O SON OF SPIRI! Te bird seekethits nest; the nightingale the charmo the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts o men, contentwith transient dust, have strayed ar rom their eternalnest, and with eyes turned towards the slough o heed-lessness are beret o the glory o the divine presence.Alas! How strange and pitiul; or a mere cupul, they

have turned away rom the billowing seas o the MostHigh, and remained ar rom the most eulgent horizon.

3O FRIEND! In the garden o thyheart plant naught but the roseo love, and rom the nightingale o aection and desireloosen not thy hold.



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reasure the companionship o the righteous and eschewall ellowship with the ungodly.

4O SON OF JUSICE! Whither cana lover go but to the land o hisbeloved? And what seeker fndeth rest away rom hishearts desire? o the true lover reunion is lie, and sepa-ration is death. His breast is void o patience and hisheart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would orsake to

hasten to the abode o his beloved.

5O SON OF DUS! Verily I say untothee: O all men the most negligentis he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himselover his brother. Say O brethren! Let deeds, not words,be your adorning.

6O SON OF EARH! Know, verily, theheart wherein the least remnant o

envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting do-minion, nor inhale the sweet savors o holiness breathingrom My kingdom o sanctity.

7O SON OF LOVE! Tou art but onestep away rom the glorious heights25

o purity hath reached Our court o holiness rom you.Tough immersed in the ocean o misbelie, yet withyour lips ye proess the one true aith o God. Himwhom I abhor ye have loved, and o My oe ye have

made a riend. Notwithstanding, ye walk on My earthcomplacent and sel-satisfed, heedless that My earthis weary o you and everything within it shunneth you.Were ye but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth, pre-er a myriad gries unto this joy, and would count deathitsel better than this lie.

21O MOVING FORM OFDUS! I desire commu-nion with thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me. Tesword o thy rebellion hath elled the tree o thy hope.

At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever arrom Me.

Imperishable glory I have chosen or thee, yet boundlessshame thou hast chosen or thysel. While there is yettime, return, and lose not thy chance.

22O SON OF DESIRE! Te learned andthe wise have or long years strivenand ailed to attain the presence o the All-Glorious;they have spent their lives in search o Him, yet did notbehold the beauty o His countenance.



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nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath ap-peared, round which circle the denizens o the realm onhigh and the immortal dwellers o the exalted paradise.

Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye mayunravel the mysteries o love rom its wind-owers andlearn the secret o divine and consummate wisdom romits eternal ruits. Solaced are the eyes o them that enterand abide therein!

19O MY FRIENDS! Have ye or-gotten that true and radiantmorn, when in those hallowed and blessed surroundingsye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shadeo the tree o lie, which is planted in the all-glorious

paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance tothese three most holy words: O riends! Preer not yourwill to Mine, never desire that which I have not desiredor you, and approach Me not with lieless hearts, defledwith worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctiyyour souls, ye would at this present hour recall that placeand those surroundings, and the truth o My utterance

should be made evident unto all o you.

20Inthe eighth o the most holy lines, in thefth ablet o Paradise, He saith: O YEHA ARE LYING AS DEAD ON HE COUCHOF HEEDLESSNESS! Ages have passed and yourprecious lives are well-nigh ended, yet not a single breath

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above and rom the celestial tree o love. ake thou onepace and with the next advance into the immortal realmand enter the pavilion o eternity. Give ear then to thatwhich hath been revealed by the pen o glory.

8O SON OF GLORY! Be swit in thepath o holiness, and enter the heav-en o communion with Me. Cleanse thy heart with theburnish o the spirit, and hasten to the court o the Most

High.

9O FLEEING SHADOW! Passbeyond the baser stages o doubtand rise to the exalted heights o certainty. Open the eyeo truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty andexclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent o allcreators!

10O SON OF DESIRE! Give ear untothis: Never shall mortal eye recog-nize the everlasting Beauty, nor the lieless heart delightin aught but in the withered bloom. For like seeketh like,and taketh pleasure in the company o its kind.



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11O SON OF DUS! Blind thine eyes,that thou mayest behold My beauty;stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweetmelody o My voice; empty thysel o all learning, thatthou mayest partake o My knowledge; and sanctiy thy-sel rom riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting sharerom the ocean o My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes,that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all saveMy word; empty thysel o all learning save the knowl-

edge o Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and anattentive ear thou mayest enter the court o My holiness.

12O MAN OF WO VISIONS!Close one eye and open theother. Close one to the world and all that is therein, andopen the other to the hallowed beauty o the Beloved.

13O MY CHILDREN! I ear lest,beret o the melody o thedove o heaven, ye will sink back to the shades o ut-

ter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty o therose, return to water and clay.

14O FRIENDS! Abandon not the ev-erlasting beauty or a beauty that23

must die, and set not your aections on this mortalworld o dust.

15O SON OF SPIRI! Te time cometh,when the nightingale o holiness willno longer unold the inner mysteries and ye will all beberet o the celestial melody and o the voice rom onhigh.

16O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE! Myri-ads o mystic tongues fnd utterance inone speech, and myriads o hidden mysteries are revealedin a single melody; yet, alas, there is no ear to hear, norheart to understand.

17O COMRADES! Te gates that open on thePlaceless stand wide and the habitationo the loved one is adorned with the lovers blood, yet

all but a ew remain beret o this celestial city, and eveno these ew, none but the smallest handul hath beenound with a pure heart and sanctifed spirit.

18O YE DWELLERS IN HE HIGH-ES PARADISE! Proclaim unto thechildren o assurance that within the realms o holiness,

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Hidden Word of Baha’u’llah