Source (Arabic)
کينونت خود خواهد بود متعارجان سمآء قرب عرفانش جز بسر منزل حيرت نرسيدهاند و قاصدان حرم قرب و وصالش جز بوادی عجز و حسرت قدم نگذاردهاند چقدر متحيّر است اين ذرّه لا شیء از تعمّق در غمرات لجّه قدس عرفان تو و چه مقدار عاجز است از تفکّر در قدرت مستودعه در ظهورات صنع تو اگر بگويم ببصر در آئی بصر خود را نبيند چگونه تو را بيند و اگر گويم بقلب ادراک شوی قلب عارف بمقامات تجلّی در خود نشده چگونه ترا عارف شود اگر گويم معروفی تو مقدّس از عرفان موجودات بوده و اگر بگويم غير معروفی تو مشهودتر از آنی که مستور و غير معروف مانی اگر چه لم يزل ابواب فضل و وصل و لقايت بر وجه ممکنات مفتوح و تجلّيات انوار جمال بيمثالت بر اعراش وجود از مشهود و مفقود مستوی مع ظهور اين فضل اعظم و عنايت اتمّ اقوم شهادت ميدهم که ساحت جلال قدست از عرفان غير مقدّس بوده و بساط اجلال اُنست از ادراک ما سوی منزّه خواهد بود. بکينونت خود معروفی و بذاتيّت خود موصوف و چقدر از هياکل عزّ احديّه که در بيداء هجر و فراقت جان باختهاند و چه مقدار از ارواح قدس صمديّه که در صحرای شهود مبهوت گشتهاند بسا عشّاق با کمال طلب و اشتياق از شعله ملتهبه نار فراق محترق شده و چه بسيار از احرار که برجای وصالت جان دادهاند نه ناله و حنين عاشقين بساحت قدست رسد و نه صيحه و ندبه قاصدين و مشتاقين بمقام قربت در آيد ...
Shoghi Effendi Translation
How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power inherent in Thine handiwork — the revelation of Thy creative power! How can mine eye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned Thine Essence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend the significance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thy nature? How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee, when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy truth? The portals of Thy grace have throughout eternity been open, and the means of access unto Thy Presence made available, unto all created things, and the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible. Yet, notwithstanding this most gracious favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testify that Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the knowledge of all else besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is inscrutable to every mind except Thine own. No one except Thyself can unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught else but Thy transcendental Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. How vast the number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness of their separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and failed in the end to find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified and immortal souls who were lost and bewildered while seeking in the desert of search to behold Thy face! Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom the consuming flame of remoteness from Thee hath caused to sink and perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willingly laid down their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The sighs and moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never reach Thy holy court, neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that thirst to appear before Thy face attain Thy seat of glory.
