Category: Windflower Translations Study Materials

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…

Introduction to Countenance of Love, in which Baha’u’llah tells his correspondent about the intricacies of being near to God. Baha’u’llah’s Countenance of Love was probably written while he lived in Edirne (Adrianople), sometime after he broke off relations with his half-brother, Mirza Yahya (Subh-i-Azal). Professor Juan Cole has suggested that the statements in the tablet…

Introduction to Commentary on a Verse of Sa’di, in which Baha’u’llah discusses the quranic concept that God is closer than the life vein. Baha’u’llah’s Commentary on a Verse of Sa’di is based on lines of poetry written by the famous Persian and Sufi poet, Mushrif-ud-Din Abdullah Sa’di (1184-1283/1291?). It is not known when Baha’u’llah wrote…

Introduction to Commentary on ‘He who knows his self knows his Lord,’ in which Baha’u’llah discusses major issues to do with religion. Baha’u’llah’s Commentary on ‘He who knows his self knows his Lord’ was written for Hadiy-i Qazvini, and is also known as Tablet for Hadi (Lawh-i Hadi). The circumstances of its revelation have not…

Introduction to City of Radiant Acquiescence, in which Baha’u’llah explains radiant acquiescence, what it means and why it is important. Baha’u’llah’s City of Radiant Acquiescence is about the spiritual state of radiant acquiescence, what it means, why it is important and how people can attain it. The tablet was written during the decade Baha’u’llah and…