What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the original text of which has been published digitally on the Bahá’í Reference Library here.
To him who hath been imprisoned in the path of the Self-Subsisting Lord, Ibn-i-Abhar—upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious
He is the All-Glorious!
O thou who art bound with chains and fetters in the path of God! In the hours of dawn, when one’s heart is unburdened and one’s soul yearning, when one’s tongue is eloquent and one’s spirit supplicating, when the very core of one’s being is pleading and the fragrances of the Abhá Kingdom are diffused, I am reminded of thee, whereupon I occupy myself with thy remembrance. When I imagine those heavy shackles upon thy weak and delicate neck, streams of my tears flow forth; when I call to mind those weighty manacles upon thy noble feet, the fire of my sorrow is ignited; and when thy dark and narrow prison is brought to my remembrance, I wail from my heart and soul.
And yet, when I look to the reality of the situation, I perceive those chains as missives from the Kingdom on high, that iron collar as a fresh and fervent longing for the All-Glorious Horizon, and those fetters as jeweled anklets studded with peerless gems. Dost thou know at all by what crown thou art distinguished and with what bounty thou art intimately acquainted? In thy tribulation thou hast become a partner and companion of the Manifest Beauty, and in thine imprisonment a close associate of the ancient and everlasting Lord. That prison was once the confining abode of the Beauty of the All-Merciful, and that place the dwelling of the King of the Placeless Realm.* Now hast thou been singled out for these favors and bounties, while we remain deprived and bereft thereof. Blessed art thou for this evident grace! Well is it with thee for this immense munificence! Unto thee be joy for this supreme triumph, and exultation be thine for this resplendent and glorious festival!
—ʻAbdu’l-Bahá ʻAbbás
That which thou didst send hath been received. Gracious God! Even in prison, thou thinkest of sacrificing. It is those who are free that should strive to make sacrifices for the imprisoned, yet this now clearly showeth to what degree the loved ones of God are immersed in the ocean of detachment, and prepared to fulfill the requisites of yielding up their lives and their substance.
—ʻAbdu’l-Bahá ʻAbbás
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* “Early in 1891 the Persian government became suspicious of certain political activists and had them imprisoned. As was the usual practice, the authorities found it convenient to accuse the Bahá’ís of anti-government activities at the same time. Among those arrested were Ḥájí Abu’l-Ḥasan-i-Amín and Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar, the Hand of the Cause, who were despatched to the prison of Qazvín. Ibn-i-Abhar was consigned to the dungeon in Ṭihrán and kept in prison for about four years. During this period he was subjected to so much ill-treatment and torture that the full story, if written, would become very lengthy indeed. He took great pride in the fact that the same chains which had been once placed around Bahá’u’lláh’s neck were put around his” (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 4, p. 306).
A typescript of the original Persian and Arabic text of this Tablet appears below (all punctuation and short vowel marks mine).
Adib Masumian 