Category: Windflower Translations Library

Introduction to Surah of the Almighty, in which Baha’u’llah discusses the name of God, the Almighty, and its ability to make people powerful. Baha’u’llah’s principal purpose in Surah of the Almighty is to inform readers that God has brought about a change in reality with regard to the name, the Almighty. God has caused its…

Introduction to Surah of Sorrows, in which Baha’u’llah laments over those who opposed him and responds to their arguments against him. Baha’u’llah wrote Surah of Sorrows between mid-1867 and mid-1868, which was the turbulent year prior to his exile from Edirne to Akka. The subject of the surah is the opposition Baha’u’llah faced from those…

Introduction to Surah of Sacrifice, in which Baha’u’llah recounts his sufferings and responds to accusations made against him by Mirza Yahya. Surah of Sacrifice (Surat’udh-Dhibh) is a letter Baha’u’llah wrote in Edirne to Muhammad Isma’il Kashani, who had been given the title ‘Dhabih’ (the Sacrifice) by the Bab. The surah is not to be confused…

Introduction to “Sprinkling of the Cloud Beyond Being”, a poem in which Baha’u’llah describes the effects of his revelation on the world. “Sprinkling of the Cloud Beyond Being” is a 19-verse poem, which Baha’u’llah composed in late 1852, during his four-month imprisonment in the Siyah Chal. Baha’u’llah was imprisoned in the Siyah Chal as part…

Introduction to Praised be my Lord, the Most High, a poem of 47 verses in which Baha’u’llah invites readers to witness the resurrection of creation brought about by the divine houri in paradise. It is one of a group of works by Baha’u’llah that centres on the activities of the houri, a celestial woman who…

Introduction to “Ode of the Dove,” a poem in which Baha’u’llah relays a conversation between himself and the divine houri who inspired his revelation. “Ode of the Dove” (alternatively, “Ode of the Nightingale”) is a 127-verse poem written by Baha’u’llah while he lived in Sulaymaniyyah. It is a mystical work based on the style and…

Introduction to “O Nightingales,” a poem in which Baha’u’llah describes the inebriating effects of his revelation on the world. The short poem, “O Nightingales,” is thought to have been written by Baha’u’llah between 1854 and 1856. These were the two years he lived in the mountains of Kurdistan. In the first ten lines of the…

Introduction to Nightingale and the Owl, Baha’u’llah’s short story about a dispute between the two birds over who is speaking the truth. Baha’u’llah’s Nightingale and the Owl is a short story, which reads much like a fairy tale. It was written by Baha’u’llah when he was living in Edirne (Adrianople), sometime after he broke off…

Introduction to “Houri of Wonder”, in which Baha’u’llah describes the divine houri recreating creation with her gestures and actions. Baha’u’llah wrote the “Houri of Wonder” in the last years of his 10-year stay in Baghdad. The exact date that it was written is not known, but it is likely to have been the early 1860s….

Introduction to Garden of Justice, in which Baha’u’llah explains the meaning and power of justice in religion and the world. Baha’u’llah revealed Garden of Justice for Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-Rida Shahmirzadi, who was from an early Babi family. In paragraph 23, Baha’u’llah refers to his correspondent directly as “the servant named Rida after Nabil”. Baha’u’llah did…