“Hallowed be He Who sent forth His Messengers unto His lands as a token of His grace; He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous…”

What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a Tablet of Baháʼuʼlláh, the original text of which is published in Áthár-i-Qalam-i-A‘lá, vol. 7 (2006 ed.), p. 622 (selection no. 322).

The Commander biddeth, and it behoveth the bidden to listen

Hallowed be He Who sent forth His Messengers unto His lands as a token of His grace; He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. He, verily, hath desired naught but the elevation and exaltation of men’s souls; unto this beareth witness this Lucid Book. Say: O peoples of the earth! Forsake ye vice and hold fast to virtue at the behest of Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Your riches and other possessions shall avail you not; abandon vain imagining, and cleave tenaciously to what hath been given you by God, Lord of all worlds.

O Ḥubbu’lláh! The Pen of the Most High is making mention of thee; God willing, thou wilt attain thereto, arising to serve this Cause in a way that befitteth it. I swear by the Sun of Utterance, which shineth resplendent from the horizon of the Mother Book! It is incumbent on the teachers and servants of the Cause who are accounted, in the Crimson Book, as Hands of the Cause of God for their heads to be crowned with the diadem of godliness, and their bodies arrayed with the raiment of detachment. Such hath been the decree of God at all times; well is it with them that act accordingly.

We beseech God to sanctify the souls of thy kindred, men and women alike, from whatsoever is unseemly, and assist them to do that which promoteth and exalteth the Word of God. He, in truth, hath power over all things.

We have mentioned and continue to remember Jamál—upon him be My glory, My mercy, and My bounty. Announce unto him My loving-kindness and My grace, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. Our glory rest on thee, on him, on thy mother, on whosoever is with you, and on every firm and steadfast believer.

A typescript of the original Persian and Arabic text of this Tablet appears below.

الآمر‌ يأمر و للمأمور أن يسمع

تبارک الّذى ارسل سفرائه الی بلاده فضلاً من عنده و هو الفضّال الکريم انّه ما اراد الاّ ارتفاع النّفوس و ارتقائهم يشهد بذلک هذا الکتاب المبين قل يا اهل الارض ضعوا الرّذائل و خذوا الفضائل امراً من لدن عليم حکيم لا ينفعکم ثروتکم و ما عندکم ضعوا الاوهام و خذوا ما اوتيتم من لدى اللّه ربّ العالمين

يا حبّ اللّه قلم اعلى ترا ذکر مينمايد ان شاءاللّه بآن فائز شوى بر خدمت امر قيام کنى قيامى که لايق اين امر است قسم بآفتاب بيان که از افق امّ الکتاب مشرق است مبلّغين و خدّام امر که در صحيفه حمراء از ايادى امر الهى محسوبند بايد رأسشان باکليل تقوى و هيکلشان برداء انقطاع مزيّن باشد اين است حکم الهى از قبل و بعد طوبى للعاملين

از حق ميطلبيم نفوس منتسبين از ذکور و اناث کلّ را مقدّس فرمايد از آنچه سزاوار نيست و مؤيد فرمايد بر آنچه سبب اعلاى کلمه و ارتفاع آن است انّه على کلّ شىء قدير

جمال عليه بهائى و رحمتى و عنايتى را ذکر نموده و مينمائيم بشّره بعنايتى و فضلی ليفرح و يکون من الشّاکرين البهاء من لدنّا عليک و عليه و علی امّک و علی من معکم و علی کلّ ثابت مستقيم

Adib Masumian