FROM THE PERSIAN
71: O Son Of Man! Write All That We Have Revealed Unto Thee With The
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...
1: O Ye People That Have Minds To Know And Ears To Hear!
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 ...
2: O Son Of Spirit! The Bird Seeketh Its Nest; The Nightingale The
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...
3: O Friend! In The Garden Of Thy Heart Plant Naught But The
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 w...
4: O Son Of Justice! Whither Can A Lover Go But To The Land Of His
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...
5: O Son Of Dust! Verily I Say Unto Thee: Of All Men The Most Negligent
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
O SON OF EARTH! Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy
yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the
sweet savors of holiness breathing from My kingdom of sanctity.
...
7: O Son Of Love! Thou Art But One Step Away From The Glorious
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 eternit...
8: O Son Of Glory! Be Swift In The Path Of Holiness And Enter The
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
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...
10: O Son Of Desire! Give Ear Unto This: Never Shall Mortal Eye Recognize
O SON OF DESIRE! Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize the
everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart delight in aught but in the
withered bloom. For like seeketh like, and taketh pleasure in the co...
11: O Son Of Dust! Blind Thine Eyes That Thou Mayest Behold My
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 knowle...
12: O Man Of Two Visions! Close One Eye And Open The Other Close One To
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
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
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
O SON OF SPIRIT! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no
longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the
celestial melody and of the voice from on high.
...
16: O Essence Of Negligence! Myriads Of Mystic Tongues Find Utterance In One
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
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, non...
18: O Ye Dwellers In The Highest Paradise!
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
...
19: O My Friends! Have Ye Forgotten That True And Radiant Morn
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-g...
20: O Ye That Are Lying As Dead On The Couch Of Heedlessness!
In the eighth of the most holy lines, in the fifth Tablet of Paradise, He
saith: 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 si...
21: O Moving Form Of Dust! I Desire Communion With Thee But Thou Wouldst
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 M...
22: O Son Of Desire! The Learned And The Wise Have For Long Years
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 count...
23: O Dwellers In The City Of Love! Mortal Blasts Have Beset The Everlasting Candle
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 ...
24: O Ye That Are Foolish Yet Have A Name To Be Wise!
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 wh...
25: O Ye Seeming Fair Yet Inwardly Foul! Ye Are Like Clear But Bitter Water Which To Outward
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 sun beam falls al...
26: O My Friend In Word! Ponder Awhile Hast Thou Ever Heard That Friend
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
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...
28: O Essence Of Desire! At Many A Dawn Have I Turned From The Realms Of
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 ...
29: O Son Of Bounty! Out Of The Wastes Of Nothingness With The Clay
O SON OF BOUNTY! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My
command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every
atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere tho...
30: O Bond Slave Of The World! Many A Dawn Hath The Breeze Of My Loving-kindness
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
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...
32: O Befriended Stranger! The Candle Of Thine Heart Is Lighted By The Hand
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. Mak...
33: O My Brother! Hearken To The Delightsome Words Of My Honeyed
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 ...
34: O Dwellers Of My Paradise! With The Hands Of Loving-kindness I Have
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
grac...
35: O My Friends! Quench Ye The Lamp Of Error And Kindle Within
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
...
36: O Son Of Dust! The Wise Are They That Speak Not Unless They
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
h...
37: O My Servant! Abandon Not For That Which Perisheth An Everlasting
In the first line of the Tablet it is recorded and written, and within the
sanctuary of the tabernacle of God is hidden: O MY SERVANT! Abandon not
for that which perisheth an everlasting dominion, and cast not awa...
38: O Son Of Spirit! Burst Thy Cage Asunder And Even As The Phoenix
O SON OF SPIRIT! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love
soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and, filled with the
spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity.
...
39: O Offspring Of Dust! Be Not Content With The Ease Of A Passing Day
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 asc...
40: O My Servant! Free Thyself From The Fetters Of This World And
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 Sovereigntythou
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 ...
42: O My Servant! Purge Thy Heart From Malice And Innocent Of
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
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 pleas...
44: O Companion Of My Throne! Hear No Evil And See No Evil Abase Not Thyself
O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not
thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear
it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own
...
45: Alas! Alas! O Lovers Of Worldly Desire!
ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE! Even as the swiftness of lightning
ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts on satanic
fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain imagining, and call it tr...
46: O Brethren In The Path! Wherefore Have Ye Neglected The Mention Of The
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...
47: O Children Of Desire! Put Away The Garment Of Vainglory And Divest
O CHILDREN OF DESIRE! Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest
yourselves of the attire of haughtiness.
...
48: O Brethren! Be Forbearing One With Another And Set Not Your
In the third of the most holy lines writ and recorded in the Ruby Tablet
by the pen of the unseen this is revealed: O BRETHREN! Be forbearing one
with another and set not your affections on things below. Pride not...
49: O Children Of Dust! Tell The Rich Of The Midnight Sighing Of The Poor
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...
50: O Quintessence Of Passion! Put Away All Covetousness And Seekcontentment;
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
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 ...
52: O Children Of Negligence And Passion!
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 Frien...
53: O Ye That Pride Yourselves On Mortal Riches!
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 cour...
54: O Ye Rich Ones On Earth! The Poor In Your Midst Are My Trust; Guard Ye
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
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
O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship
with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh
to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship ...
57: O Son Of Dust! Beware! Walk Not With The Ungodly And Seek
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
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 tru...
59: O Heedless Ones! Think Not The Secrets Of Hearts Are Hidden Nay
O HEEDLESS ONES! Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye
of a certainty that in clear characters they are engraved and are openly
manifest in the holy Presence.
...
60: O Friends! Verily I Say Whatsoever Ye Have Concealed Within
O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts
is to Us open and manifest as the day; but that it is hidden is of Our
grace and favor, and not of your deserving.
...
61: O Son Of Man! A Dewdrop Out Of The Fathomless Ocean Of My
O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have
shed upon the peoples of the world, yet found none turn thereunto,
inasmuch as every one hath turned away from the celestial wine of unity
un...
62: O Son Of Dust! Turn Not Away Thine Eyes From The Matchless Wine
O SON OF DUST! Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine of the
immortal Beloved, and open them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from
the hands of the divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life, that ...
63: O Ye Peoples Of The World! Know Verily That An Unforeseen Calamity Followeth
O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity
followeth you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you. Think not that which
ye have committed hath been effaced in My sight. By My beauty! All yo...
64: O Oppressors On Earth! Withdraw Your Hands From Tyranny For I Have
O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH! Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have
pledged Myself not to forgive any man's injustice. This is My covenant
which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed with
...
65: O Rebellious Ones! My Forbearance Hath Emboldened You And My
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...
66: O Emigrants! The Tongue I Have Designed For The Mention Of
O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it
not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own
faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of...
67: O Children Of Fancy! Know Verily That While The Radiant Dawn Breaketh
O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh
above the horizon of eternal holiness, the satanic secrets and deeds done
in the gloom of night shall be laid bare and manifest before the pe...
68: O Weed That Springeth Out Of Dust! Wherefore Have Not These Soiled Hands Of Thine
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 ...
69: O Children Of Adam! Holy Words And Pure And Goodly Deeds Ascend
O CHILDREN OF ADAM! Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the
heaven of celestial glory. Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the
dust of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; ...
70: O Son Of Worldliness! Pleasant Is The Realm Of Being Wert Thou To Attain
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 o...
71: O My Friends! Call Ye To Mind That Covenant Ye Have Entered Into
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...
72: O My Servant! Thou Art Even As A Finely Tempered Sword Concealed
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...
73: O My Friend! Thou Art The Daystar Of The Heavens Of My Holiness
O MY FRIEND! Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness, let not
the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of
heedlessness, that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resp...
74: O Children Of Vainglory! For A Fleeting Sovereignty Ye Have Abandoned My
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 gath...
75: O Children Of Negligence! Set Not Your Affections On Mortal Sovereignty
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
...
76: O Son Of My Handmaid! Guidance Hath Ever Been Given By Words And Now
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 th...
77: O Son Of Justice! In The Night-season The Beauty Of The Immortal
O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being
hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high
and the...
78: O Son Of My Handmaid! Quaff From The Tongue Of The Merciful The Stream
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of
divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring of divine utterance the
unveiled splendor of the daystar of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divin...
79: O Son Of Desire! How Long Wilt Thou Soar In The Realms Of Desire?
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 ...
80: O My Servants! Ye Are The Trees Of My Garden; Ye Must Give Forth
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 profession...
81: O My Servant! The Basest Of Men Are They That Yield No Fruit
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
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 er...