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 has not been published, but a facsimile of it can be found here. This was shared with me by Marc Soudon, who received it from the National Bahá’í Archives of France.
This Tablet was addressed to Madeleine Sacy. Her husband was Gabriel Sacy (20 November 1858 – 21 March 1903), an Egyptian Catholic and Martinist who seems to have become a Baháʼí around the turn of the twentieth century, apparently under the guidance of Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl Gulpáygání, who was also living in Egypt at the time. Sacy spoke seven languages, studied at the Syrian Protestant College (now the American University of Beirut), and worked as the head of the personnel office at the Ministry of Finance in Cairo. E.G. Browne writes that Sacy “had become a fervent Baháʼí with a very remarkable faculty for interpreting the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, especially those of the Book of Daniel and Revelation, in support of the Bábí and Bahá’í claims” (Materials for the Study of the Bábí Religion, pp. 185–86).
He is God
To that honorable lady, the wife of the respected Gabriel Effendí Sacy
O thou who art related to him who hath turned, with his whole being, toward the Kingdom of God! I have perused thy letter, and my heart was cheered by its contents, which betoken thy sincere intent. I beseech God that He may lift the veil from thine eyes and reveal unto thee the signs of His Kingdom, which hath been made manifest and encompassed the world’s horizons.
O handmaid of God! This Cause is great, exceedingly great. One can scarcely comprehend it through the power of one’s own understanding and imagination. Consider Christ, glory be unto Him. In His day, all the wise men and philosophers—all the rulers, divines, and Pharisees—remained heedless. Indeed, they arose to uproot that blessed Tree, striving with all their might to cut down its roots, its branches, and its boughs. Yet it grew and flourished, rising aloft and extending itself to cast its shadow throughout the earth. I entreat God that He may answer thy prayer, such that thy breast may swell with joy through the realization of thy hopes.
Upon thee be greetings and praise.
A typescript of the original Arabic text of this Tablet appears below (all punctuation and short vowel marks mine).
Adib Masumian 