THE FIRE TABLET
In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most great.
Indeed the hearts of the sincere are flaming in the fire of separation:
Where is the gleaming of the lights of union
O Beloved of the worlds?
Those who were near are outcast in distant darkness:
Where is the shining of the morn of Thy reunion,
O Desire of the worlds?
The bodies of Thy chosen ones lie quivering on distant sands:
Where is the ocean of Thy presence,
O Enchanter of the worlds?
The hands of longing are uplifted to the heaven of Thy grace and gifts:
Where are the rains of Thy bestowal,
O Answerer of the worlds?
Those who worship many gods arise in tyranny on every hand:
Where is the victory of Thine ordaining pen,
O Conqueror of the worlds?
The bark of dogs is loud on every side:
Where is the lion of the jungle of Thine anger,
O Chastiser of the worlds?
Coldness hath fastened on the earth:
Where is the warmth of Thy love,
O Fire of the worlds?
Calamity hath reached its height:
Where are the signs of Thy succour,
O Saviour of the worlds?
Darkness hath settled on creation:
Where is the shining of Thy brightness,
O Radiance of the worlds?
The heads of men are lifted up in emnity:
Where are the swords of Thy vengeance,
O Destroyer of the worlds?
Misery hath reached its lowest depth:
Where are the emblems of Thy glory,
O Glory of the worlds?
Sorrows have caught the Dayspring of Thy tenderest Name:
Where is the joy of the Manifestor of Thy presence,
O Gladness of the worlds?
Mourning hath come upon mankind:
Where are the tokens of Thy joy,
O Joy of all the worlds?
Thou seest the Revealer of Thy verses in the shrouds of fancy:
Where are the unveiling fingers of Thy power,
O Power of the worlds?
Sore thirst hath overcome all men:
Where is the river of Thy bounty,
O mercy of the worlds?
Greed hath made captive all creation:
Where are the manifestors of detachment,
O Master of the worlds?
Thou seest this Wronged One single in a foreign land:
Where are the armies of the heaven of Thy cause,
O Sovereign of the worlds?
Thou hast forsaken Me in a foreign land:
Where are the emblems of Thy faithfulness,
O Trust of all the worlds?
The drunkness of death hath taken every region:
Where is the surging of Thy living ocean,
O Life of all the worlds?
The whisperings of Satan have been breathed to every creature:
Where is the comet of Thy wrath,
O Light of all the worlds?
The drunkness of passion hath altered every being:
Where are the daysprings of Thy purity,
O Desire of the worlds?
Thou seest this Wronged One veiled in tyranny among the Syrians:
Where is the dawning of the radiance of Thy morning,
O Lamp of all the worlds?
Thou seest Me forbidden to speak forth:
Then from where will spring Thy melodies,
O Dove of all the worlds?
Mankind is for the most part enwrapped in fancy:
Where are the emblems of Thy certitude,
O Assurance of the worlds?
Baha is drowning in a sea of tribulation:
Where is the ark of Thy salvation,
O Saviour of the worlds?
Thou seest the dayspring of Thine utterance in the blackness of creation:
Where is the sun of the heaven of Thy grace,
O Lighter of the worlds?
The lamps of truth and purity, of loyalty and honor, are put out:
Where are the signs of Thy avenging wrath,
O Mover of the worlds?
Dost Thou see Him Who champions Thyself, dost Thou know what hath beset
Him in the path of Thy love?
Now doth My pen halt,
O Beloved of the worlds.
The branches of the Farthest Cedar lie broken by the gales of destiny:
Where are the banners of Thy succour,
O Champion of the worlds?
This Face is hidden in the dust of slander:
Where are the gales of Thy compassion,
O Mercy of the worlds?
The robe of purity is sullied by the people of deceit:
Where are the vestures of Thy holiness,
O Adorner of the worlds?
The sea of grace is stilled for what the hands of men have wrought:
Where is the surging of Thy bounty,
O Desire of the worlds?
The door of audience is locked through the tyranny of Thy foes:
Where is the key of Thy bestowal,
O Unlocker of the worlds?
The leaves are yellowed by the poisoning wind of hate:
Where is the downpour of Thy clouds of bounty,
O Giver of the worlds?
The skies are darkened with the dust of sin:
Where are the breezes of Thy forgiveness,
O Forgiver of the worlds?
This Youth is lonely in the land of famine:
Where is Thy rain of heavenly grace,
O Bestower of the worlds?
O Thou Supreme Pen, We have heard Thy sweetest cry from the eternal realm,
And We have heard what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke,
O Wronged One of the worlds!
Were it not for the cold,
How would the heat of Thy words prevail,
O Speaker of the worlds?
Were it not for the night,
How would the sun of Thy patience shine,
O Light of all the worlds?
Fail not before the sinful,
Thou wert created to confront them,
O Patience of the worlds.
How loved was Thy dawning from the heaven of the Covenant among the followers of hate,
And Thy yearning after God,
O Lover of the worlds.
By Thee the flag of freedom stood on the higher peaks;
By Thee the sea of Bounty moved,
O Gladness of the worlds.
By Thine aloneness the sun of oneness shone, and by Thy banishment
The land of singleness grew fair:
Then endure,
O Thou Stranger in the worlds.
We have made misery the garment of Thy glory,
And sorrow the beauty of Thy temple,
O Pride of all the worlds.
Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate,
And shalt absolve them,
Thou Who dost hide the sins of all the worlds.
When the swords flash, go forward!
When the shafts fly, press onward!
O Thou Victim of the worlds.
Dost Thou wail, or shall I wail?
Rather shall I weep at the fewness of Thy champions,
O Thou Who hast caused the wailing of the worlds.
Surely I have heard Thy cry, o All-Glorious Beloved:
And now is the face of Baha flaming with the heat of tribulation and with the fire of
Thy shining words, and He hath risen up in faithfulness at the place of sacrifice,
Looking toward Thy pleasure,
O Desire of the worlds.
O thou ‘Ali Qabl-I-Akbar, thank thy Lord for this Tablet whence thou canst breathe the fragrance of My meekness, and know what hath beset Us in the path of God, the adored of all the worlds.