Tablet of Carmel — §3

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 3 of 5.

Source (Arabic)

فَلمّا بَلغَ ندائها اِلی ذاکَ المَقامِ الأَعلی قُلنا يا کَرمِلُ احْمدی رَبَّکِ قَد کنتِ محترقة بِنارِ الفِراق اذاً ماج بَحرُ الوصال امامَ وَجْهِک بذلکَ قرّت عينک وَ عَيْن الوُجود وَ ابتَسَم ثغر الغَيْب وَ الشُّهُود طُوبی لَک بِما جَعَلکِ اللّه فی هذا اليَوم مَقَرّ عَرشه وَ مَطْلع آياتِه وَ مَشرِق بيّناته طُوبی لعَبْد طاف حَولکِ وَ ذَکَرَ ظهورک وَ بُرُوْزَکَ وَ ما فزتِ بهِ مِن فَضلِ اللّه رَبّک خُذی کأسَ البَقاء باسْمِ رَبّک الأبهی ثمَّ اشْکريه بما بَدَّلَ حُزنکِ بالسُّرُور وَ هَمّکِ بالفَرَح الأکبَر رَحْمةً مِنْ عندِه انّهُ يُحبُّ المَقام الّذِی اسْتَقَرَّ فيه عَرشه وَ تَشرَّفَ بقُدُومه وَ فازَ بِلقآئه وَ فيهِ ارْتفع ندائُه وَ صَعَدت زَفَراتُه

Shoghi Effendi Translation

No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply: ‘Render thanks unto thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the dayspring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honoured by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears.

Translation Notes

فَلمّا

l-m-m → “No sooner”

literal: when; as soon as; thereupon

بَلغَ

b-l-gh → “reached” Distinctive

literal: to reach; to attain; to deliver; to proclaim

ندائها

n-d-y → “voice”

literal: call; voice; cry; summons; to call; to proclaim; to cry out; to summon

اِلی

ʾ-l-y → “towards”

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

ذاکَ

dh-l-k → “that”

literal: that; this; it; by that

المَقامِ

q-w-m → “most exalted Spot” Distinctive

literal: rising; standing; uprising; resurrection

الأَعلی

ʿ-l-w → “exalted”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

قُلنا

q-w-l → “We made reply” Distinctive

literal: little; few; scanty; small in quantity

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

کَرمِلُ

k-r-m → “bounty”

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

احْمدی

ḥ-m-d → “‘Render thanks”

literal: praise; to praise

رَبَّکِ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

قَد

q-d

literal: verily; indeed; certainly (particle of emphasis)

کنتِ

k-w-n → “was”

literal: to do; to make; to perform; to be; was

محترقة

ḥ-r-q → “consuming”

literal: to burn; to be consumed by fire; burning

بِنارِ

n-ʾ-r → “fire”

literal: fire; blaze; flame

الفِراق

f-r-q → “separation”

literal: faction; sect; group; company

اذاً

ʾ-dh-n → “ears”

literal: when; if; whenever; then suddenly

ماج

m-w-j → “surged”

literal: wave; billows; surge

بَحرُ

b-ḥ-r → “ocean”

literal: sea; ocean

الوصال

w-ṣ-l → “presence”

literal: reunion; union; meeting; connection

امامَ

ʾ-m-m → “before”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

وَجْهِک

w-j-h → “face”

literal: face; countenance; direction; aspect

قرّت

q-r-r → “acknowledged” Distinctive

literal: coolness; comfort; delight; comfort of the eye

عَيْن

ʿ-y-n → “eyes”

literal: eye; fountain; spring; essence; to appoint; to designate; to specify; to determine

الوُجود

w-j-d

literal: to find; to discover; to obtain

ابتَسَم

b-s-m → “hath smiled”

literal: in the name of; by the name of (Islamic formulaic opening)

ثغر

th-gh-r

literal: mouth; countenance; opening

الغَيْب

gh-y-b → “invisible”

literal: the unseen; the invisible; the hidden; the unknowable; stranger; foreign; alien; separated

الشُّهُود

sh-h-d → “visible”

literal: witnessed; observed; seen; evident; manifest

طُوبی

ṭ-w-b → “Rejoice” Distinctive

literal: happiness; blessedness; felicity

لَک

l → “His is”

literal: for; for you; for him

جَعَلکِ

j-ʿ-l → “hath made thee”

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

اللّه

ʾ-l-h → “God”

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

فی

f-y → “in”

literal: alas; woe; oh

هذا

h-dh-ʾ

literal: this; that

اليَوم

y-w-m

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

عَرشه

ʿ-r-sh → “throne”

literal: of the Throne; companion of the Throne

مَطْلع

ṭ-l-ʿ → “dawning-place”

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

آياتِه

ʾ-y-y → “signs”

literal: verse; sign; miracle; testimony; token

مَشرِق

sh-r-q → “dayspring”

literal: radiance; splendor; dawn; illumination

بيّناته

b-y-n → “evidences”

literal: to manifest; to make clear; clear, evident; in; among; between; at this moment

لعَبْد

ʿ-b-d → “him” Distinctive

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

طاف

ṭ-w-f → “circleth”

literal: the letter Ṭá; refers to Ṭihrán (also spelled Ṭehran)

حَولکِ

ḥ-w-l → “around”

literal: states; conditions; circumstances; situations; affairs

ذَکَرَ

dh-k-r → “mention”

literal: remembrance; mention; memory; invocation; reminders; commemorations

ظهورک

ẓ-h-r → “revelation of thy glory”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

بُرُوْزَکَ

b-r-z → “revelation” Distinctive

literal: appearance; manifestation; coming forth

ما

m-ʾ → “that”

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

فزتِ

f-w-z → “hath showered” Distinctive

literal: to attain; to gain; to succeed; to win

بهِ

b-h

literal: by it; by him; with it

مِن

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

فَضلِ

f-ḍ-l → “bounty”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

خُذی

ʾ-kh-dh → “Seize thou”

literal: to take; to seize; to affect; to grasp

کأسَ

k-ʾ-s → “Chalice”

literal: cup; chalice; goblet

البَقاء

b-q-y → “Immortality”

literal: remaining; everlasting; eternal; immortal

باسْمِ

s-m-w → “in the name”

literal: harm; strength; blame; hardship, adversity, tribulation, distress

الأبهی

b-h-w → “All-Glorious”

literal: splendor; glory; magnificence; Bahá (Proper Name in Bahá’í texts)

ثمَّ

th-m-m → “and” Distinctive

literal: then; thereafter; next; moreover

اشْکريه

sh-k-r → “give thanks”

literal: thank; thankful; thanks

بَدَّلَ

b-d-l → “turned”

literal: in place of; instead of; to change; to alter (preposition or verb stem)

حُزنکِ

ḥ-z-n → “sorrow”

literal: sorrow; grief; sadness; anguish; to grieve; to sorrow; to be sad

بالسُّرُور

s-r-r → “gladness”

literal: throne; couch; seat of authority

هَمّکِ

h-m-m → “endeavor” Distinctive

literal: them (pronoun + object marker)

بالفَرَح

f-r-ḥ → “into blissful joy”

literal: to rejoice; to be glad; joy

الأکبَر

k-b-r

literal: great; grand; mighty; large; greatness; majesty; sovereignty; arrogance

رَحْمةً

r-ḥ-m → “mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

عندِه

ʿ-n-d → “thee” Distinctive

literal: obstinacy; opposition; enmity

انّهُ

ʾ-n-n → “He, verily”

literal: I, verily; behold I

يُحبُّ

ḥ-b-b → “loveth”

literal: love; affection

الّذِی

l-dh-y → “which”

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

تَشرَّفَ

sh-r-f → “hath been honoured”

literal: honor; nobility; eminence; to honor

بقُدُومه

q-d-m → “Ancient of Days” Distinctive

literal: ancientness; antiquity; foot; to come forward

بِلقآئه

l-q-y

literal: opposite; facing; in front of; towards

ارْتفع

r-f-ʿ → “raised”

literal: to be raised, elevated, exalted, lifted up

صَعَدت

ṣ-ʿ-d → “ascend” Distinctive

literal: ascent; ascension; rising; elevation

زَفَراتُه

z-f-r → “sighs”

literal: sigh; sob; lamentation

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

Bahá’u’lláh

The last outstanding Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, written around 1891 and addressed to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí of Iṣfahán. It calls upon that rapacious priest to repent, quotes the most celebrated passages from Bahá’u’lláh’s own writings, and adduces proofs establishing the validity of His Cause.

268 ¶

Fire Tablet

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in late 1871 during a period of severe hardship in ‘Akká, this Tablet takes the form of an anguished dialogue between Bahá’u’lláh and God. Questions about the sufferings of the faithful are answered with divine assurances, building to a crescendo of triumph over tribulation.

50 ¶

Gleanings

Bahá’u’lláh

A compilation of 166 selections from Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets, spanning the Baghdad, Adrianople, and ‘Akká periods (1853–1892). George Townshend assisted with English refinement. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it gives the friends a splendid opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

729 ¶

Kitáb-i-’Ahd

Bahá’u’lláh

The Book of the Covenant — Bahá’u’lláh’s Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand and unsealed on the ninth day after His ascension. It designates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor and establishes what Shoghi Effendi called the mightiest Covenant in all religious history.

16 ¶

Kitáb-i-Íqán

Bahá’u’lláh

The principal doctrinal work of the Faith, revealed in Baghdad within the space of two days and two nights in response to questions from the Báb’s maternal uncle. Shoghi Effendi described it as occupying a position unequalled by any work except the Kitáb-i-Aqdas — a model of Persian prose, at once original, chaste, vigorous, and remarkably lucid.

291 ¶

Prayers and Meditations

Bahá’u’lláh

Published in 1938, this companion volume to Gleanings contains 184 prayers and meditations selected by Shoghi Effendi from Bahá’u’lláh’s devotional writings revealed across successive exiles from Baghdad to ‘Akká. Shoghi Effendi described it as a volume whose perusal would deepen the spirit of devotion and faith.

858 ¶

Tablet of Aḥmad

Bahá’u’lláh

Revealed in Adrianople and addressed to a believer named Aḥmad, this Tablet has been invested by Bahá’u’lláh with a special potency and significance. Its central imagery draws on the metaphor of fire and water: “Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life eternal to My loved ones.”

17 ¶

Tablet of the Holy Mariner

Bahá’u’lláh

Chanted aloud in the outskirts of Baghdad just weeks before the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, its gloomy prognostications aroused the grave apprehensions of all who heard it. Only the Arabic portion has an authorized translation; the Persian portion remains untranslated.

57 ¶

The Hidden Words

Bahá’u’lláh

Seventy-one Arabic and eighty-two Persian aphorisms revealed around 1858 while walking along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad. Originally designated the “Hidden Book of Fáṭimih,” Shoghi Effendi described it as a marvelous collection of gem-like utterances occupying a position of unsurpassed preeminence among the ethical writings of the Faith.

160 ¶

Will and Testament

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in three parts between 1901 and 1908, opened and read after His passing on 28 November 1921. Shoghi Effendi designated it the Charter of the New World Order — the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

59 ¶