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Tablet of Carmel — §1

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 1 of 5.

Source (Arabic)

حَبَّذا هذَا الْيَوْمُ الَّذی فيه تَضَوَّعَت نَفحاتُ اْلرّحمن فی الإمکانِ حَبَّذا هذَا الْيَوْمُ الْمُبارَکُ الّذی لا تُعادلُه القرون وَ الأَعصار حَبَّذا هذَا الْيَوْمُ اذ تَوَجَّهَ وَجْهُ الْقِدَمِ اِلی مَقامه اِذاً نادَتِ الأَشيآء وَ عَن وَرائها المَلأ الأعلی يا کَرمِل انزلی بما اقبَل اليْکِ وَجْهُ اللهِ مالکِ مَلکُوتِ الاسْمآء وَ فاطِر السَّمآء

Shoghi Effendi Translation

ALL glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on High, were heard calling aloud: ‘Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.’

Translation Notes

حَبَّذا
ḥ-b-b → “love” Distinctive

literal: love; affection

هذَا
h-dh-ʾ → “this”

literal: this; that

الْيَوْمُ
y-w-m → “Day, the Day”

literal: day; age; period; era; a day

الَّذی
l-dh-y → “in which”

literal: who; which; that which; the one who

تَضَوَّعَت
ḍ-w-ʿ → “wafted”

literal: emitting fragrance; diffusing; exuding

نَفحاتُ
n-f-ḥ → “fragrances”

literal: breeze; fragrance; whiff; breath; emanation

اْلرّحمن
r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

فی
f-y → “in”

literal: alas; woe; oh

الإمکانِ
m-k-n → “all created things”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

الْمُبارَکُ
b-r-k → “blest”

literal: blessed; auspicious; fruitful

لا
l-ʾ → “or”

literal: no; not; negation particle

تُعادلُه
ʿ-d-l → “justice” Distinctive

literal: justice; equity

القرون
q-r-n → “past ages”

literal: conjunction; union; coupling; association

الأَعصار
ʿ-ṣ-r → “centuries”

literal: age; era; century; period of time

اذ
ʾ-dh-dh → “whilst”

literal: when; since

تَوَجَّهَ
w-j-h → “turned”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

الْقِدَمِ
q-d-m → “the Ancient of Days”

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

اِلی
ʾ-l-y → “towards”

literal: except; but; if not; lo; now; at this time; save; only; unless

مَقامه
q-w-m → “His holy seat” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

اِذاً
ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

نادَتِ
n-d-y → “calling aloud”

literal: you (singular/plural pronoun)

الأَشيآء
sh-y-ʾ → “things”

literal: thing; something; to will; to wish; to desire; to open; to unfold; to reveal

عَن
ʿ-n → “from”

literal: from; about; concerning; away from

وَرائها
w-r-ʾ → “them”

literal: mankind; people; human beings; behind; after

المَلأ
m-l-ʾ → “the Concourse”

literal: assembly; multitude; chiefs; to fill; people of rank; fullness, assembly

الأعلی
ʿ-l-w → “on High”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

يا
y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

کَرمِل
k-r-m → “bounty”

literal: Carmel (Mount Carmel); vineyard, fruitful field; honor; generosity; nobility

انزلی
n-z-l → “sent down” Distinctive

literal: to descend, to be revealed

بما
m-ʾ → “that” Distinctive

literal: what; which; that which; relative pronoun; interrogative

اقبَل
q-b-l → “before” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

اللهِ
ʾ-l-h → “God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

مالکِ
m-l-k → “Ruler” Distinctive

literal: kingdom; dominion; realm; sovereignty; possessions; property; ownership

الاسْمآء
s-m-w → “of Names”

literal: heaven; sky

فاطِر
f-ṭ-r → “true Faith” Distinctive

literal: creator; the one who splits/creates

Source: Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of Carmel

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