The following excerpt contains material of interest relating to the Bahá’í conception of the prophet or Manifestation of God, the nature of revelation, and the prerogatives of the Divine Educator as conceived in Bahá’í theology—and how Bahá’í tenets historically relate to ideas of past thinkers in Islam. The translation is of a brief passage from Mírzá Abú’l-Faḍl’s Faṣlu’l-Khiṭáb—one first shown me some years ago by that eminently accomplished expert of Persian and Bahá’í literature, Naeem Nabiliakbar, whose radiant erudition is veiled only by his outstanding humility. In this passage, Mírzá Abú’l-Faḍl recounts an anecdote concerning Avicenna (c.980-1037 AD)—outstanding among all the philosophers of Islam—and his devoted disciple Bahmanyár . . .
Related Writings
“O Nightingales” (Ay Bulbulán)
Introduction What follows is a provisional translation of a Persian poem by Bahá’u’lláh, “Ay Bulbulán” or “O Nightingales,” in which He describes His advent through the various classical motifs of Persian literature. As scholar Julio Savi notes, this poem is attributed to the period when Bahá’u’lláh was residing in Iraqi Kurdistan. Although Juan Cole had […]
Poem by Tahirih, If on Thine Eyes
If on thine eyes mine own should fall,
Two gazes fixed ‘twixt Thee and me,
In revelation of it all
I’d speak of how I’ve yearned for Thee.
Poem by Tahirih, ‘Tis in Thy Love’s Demesne
‘Tis in Thy love’s demesne that I remain,
Though seeing grace from none I must withstand.
To look on exiled me I pray Thou deign,
For in this land, with Thee is all command.
Sa’dí, When This My Melancholy Heart
When this my melancholy heart unto the gardens did repair,
The perfumes of the rose and verdure took away my every care.
O God Replete with Grace (Ay Khudáy-i-Pur-‘Aṭáy-i-Dhú’l-Manan)
O God replete with grace, O Thou the Lord All-Bountiful,
O Thou the knower of my mysteries, my heart, my soul!
Háfiz, Succor now in none I see
The following is my translation of a famous ghazal by Hafiz, one which, despite being well-beloved by readers of his original Persian, is not rendered into English nearly so often as his poems that concern love or allow mystical interpretation. Yet is it is a poem that is quintessentially Hafiz: melancholic, enigmatic, replete with allusions both literary and cultural, and poignant in the power of its expression.
Mawlaví (Rumi), O dweller in my soul
The following is my translation into rhyming verse of a ghazal by Mawlavi, or Rumi, as he is known in the West, a man whose is scarcely in need of introduction. Mawlavi is often quoted by Baha’u’llah and his poetry, most notably his sprawling Masnavi, remain inspiring works replete with moral and spiritual wealth….
Háfiz, The breast is surfeited with pain
The following is my translation of a ghazal by Hafiz, one of the greatest poets in the Persian literary tradition.
A ghazal is common form in classical Persian poetry, and consists of seven or more lines of verse. A line, or bayt, in Persian poetry consists of two parts, much like couplets in English….
Persian Prayer Composed by Mirza Abu’l-Fadl
O blessed Providence, King of the world, Sovereign of the earth! We are but a handful of distressed souls seeking solace from Thee, and a lonesome band desiring refuge with Thee. In the darkness of the world, set a lamp before the lost; amidst the hardships of the times, make clear the path to tranquility.