Commencement of the Lawh-i Baha' in INBMC 35
Lawh-i Baha'
(The Surah of Baha' - Resplendent Glory (c. 1865-6? )
Translation and Commentary
Stephen Lambden
The Lawh-i Baha' (The Surah of Baha' = Glory-Splendour dates to around the early (January, 1866 CE) or middle of the Edirne or Adrianople period (c. 1865-6? ), just before the `Most Great Separation' beween Mirza Yahya and Baha'u'llah. Ishraq Khavari, however, dates the Lawh-i Baha' to around the time of the exile from Baghdad to Constantinople-Istanbul (Ganj No. 18). This Tablet commences in Arabic but also has a following Persian section. It was addressed to Khatun Jan Qazviniyya, the daughter of Hajji Asad-Allah Farhadi Qazvini (see Mazandarani, Athar al-asrar, II:89-90). In making the translation below I have consulted the following mss and printed texts :
- INBMC 35: 70-81.
Translation
198?+revised 2015.
This is the Lawh al-Baha' which was revealed from the Empyrean of Eternity (jabarut al-baqa'). So recite it then!, O concourse of the Theophanic Cloud (mala' al-`ama'), perchance ye might soar up unto the heaven of the Cause of God (sama' al-amr) in this atmosphere and thus be firmly established within the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.
"He is the All-Eternal" (huwa al-baqi [baqa]).
O Maidservant of God (amat-Allah)!
Be patient under all circumstances and mindful of the fact that the robe of this Youth (qamis al-ghulam) was dyed crimson with the blood of enmity betwixt earth and heaven. At every moment he crieth out with a soul-saddending cry [Call] (bi-nida' hazin). All of his associates that attempted to succour him found themselves assailed by the swords of emnity (suyuf al-hasad).
