What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The original text has not been published; a typescript of it was shared with me by Marc Soudon, who received it from the Bahá’í World Center.
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).
Paris
Care of Monsieur [Hippolyte] Dreyfus
To the handmaiden of God, Madame Ṣáṣí [Madeleine Sacy], the wife of him who hath ascended to the most exalted Companion
O handmaiden of God! Grieve not over the ascension of the soul of him whom God hath loved, thy noble husband, for he is as a bird that hath returned unto his lofty nest and soared unto that most exalted height, the supernal Kingdom; that hath found repose in the Garden of Paradise upon the boughs of the Tree of Life; and that now warbleth in wondrous tones whereat the angels of heaven rejoice. Wherefore, lament thou not over his passing, for although thou hast lost thy respected companion, thou hast a loving father, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who will console thee in this grievous tribulation.
O handmaiden of God! Reflect upon that noble friend—how he sensed and felt the approach of his ascension after having achieved perfection and obtained an eternal life that shall never know extinction. Ponder how he would say unto thee, “I love that I should ascend unto God in praise and thanksgiving unto Him,” and how he bade farewell unto the loved ones of the Lord one by one, embracing them with all affection and devotion. I beseech God that He may enable me to be faithful unto that loving friend—that cherished soul so worthy of praise.
O handmaiden of God! Be thou assured of the grace of thy Lord. He, verily, will provide the means whereby thine offspring may be reared in the best manner beneath the shadow of the Kingdom of God. Kiss thou, on my behalf, the cheeks of thy children, who are dear to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. 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 