What follows is my provisional translation of a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá written to commemorate the marriage of Mírzá Núru’d-Dín Zayn and Nayyirih Zaynaluf. Mírzá Núru’d-Dín Zayn later wrote thousands of Persian letters on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf and was the son of Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín, an Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh. I am grateful to Dr. Lina Zeine, the granddaughter of Mírzá Núru’d-Din Zayn, for kindly sharing the original Arabic text of this Tablet with me. While the provisional translation below is not technically an authorized (official) translation, it has been reviewed for accuracy by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice.
Written on the occasion of the marriage of Mírzá Núru’d-Dín and a maidservant of the All-Merciful[1]
He is God
Praise be to God, Who hath caused the oceans of joy to surge with the breezes of blissful love on this celebrated day through the union of one of His handmaids who hath believed in Him and His signs with one of His servants who hath fulfilled his pledge to His Covenant and Testament. Thus have they become two tokens of His love, two flames ignited by the fire of attraction to His Beauty, two words from the book of His signs, two trees of the garden of His lights, and two stars in the horizon of His recognition.
Hallowed and brilliant salutations be upon the Focal Point of love and faithfulness,[2] the Axis of the sphere of ecstasy and fervor for the Beauty of Bahá, the Sun on the horizon of devotion, and the Daystar at the zenith of ardor and desire—Him Whose vitals were set aflame with the fire of love, burning and blazing intensely; Who is manifest through the lights of the words “He shall love Him and they shall love Him”[3] shining in the hearts of His chosen ones; Whose soul was drawn to the arena of sacrifice; Whose blood was sprinkled upon the dust of the earth; and Whose limbs were rent by the bullets of the malevolent in His adoration for the Abhá Beauty—and also upon those who are associated with Him, who tread His Open and Radiant Road, who walk in His Perfect Way, and who follow His Luminous Path.
O my God, O my God! These two enraptured souls have embraced in the stronghold of chastity and purity beneath the shade of Thy divine Lote-Tree. They have been wedded in the bridal chamber of the Most Great Prison through Thy bounty, which Thou hast reserved for whomsoever Thou willest in Thy most exalted Paradise. They have grown so united as to become a single soul through the bonds of oneness under all circumstances and conditions. And he hath thus come to dwell with her.[4]
O Lord! Make firm their feet in Thy most great love, strengthen the ties of affection between them through the Sure Handle in Thine impregnable refuge, and send down upon them blessings from Thy side. Raise up through them descendants who will serve at Thy sacred and resplendent Threshold, who will make mention of Thee in the most exalted assemblage, who will worship Thee in the morn and the daytime, and who will supplicate Thee at dawn and eventide. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Giver, the Munificent, the Generous, the Abundant Bestower.
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[1] Nayyirih Zaynaluf.
[2] From this part of the Tablet up until the text that reads “…in His adoration for the Abhá Beauty,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is referring to the Báb.
[3] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is alluding to a very similar passage from Qur’án 5:54 that can be translated as “He [God] shall love them [the believers] and they shall love Him.”
[4] cf. Qur’án 7:189, 30:21.
A typescript of the original Arabic text of this Tablet appears below.
Adib Masumian 