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 symbolises the divine and is the source of Baha’u’llah’s divine inspiration.
The poem begins with an introductory section, verses 1-13, in which Baha’u’llah orientates the reader to the heavenly setting of the drama. He directs a guided tour, pointing out the features and delights a person can expect to see there. He addresses the reader as “letter of eternity,” which is, perhaps, a reference to the Word of God. That is, the Word of God is the cause of the existence of each person; therefore, it might be said that each person is a “letter” of the divine Word.
Baha’u’llah then instructs the reader to put on the “sandals of detachment” and walk along an ornate carpet. The carpet is the means by which a person travels from earth into heaven. Baha’u’llah urges the reader not allow events on earth to make them sad. Instead, they are to forget about the earth and just make the ascent into heaven. He has set aside a special place with him in heaven. There, a person can hear beautiful melodies, drink red wine, eat sacred fruits, fly about on gemstone wings, sing the songs of eternity, encounter glances from luxurious lounges, awaken to divine guidance, eat the fruits of the Word of God, and hear the divine call from the melodic broadcast of the Unseen.
At this point, the poem shifts to the houri story. The houri descends from an unknown place and accepts the sweet voice of divine revelation. She wastes no time in doing a host of outrageous things. She serves wine, leans on her leg with one arm, and gives a toast with the other. Moreover, she beams a piercing glare that unsettles onlookers, and allows her hair to fall from her veil onto her shoulders. Unexpectedly, a black snake hidden in her hair swallows up creation. But the appearance of the houri’s face brings it back to life again. She lifts a black veil from her brow and reveals a brilliant new reality.
At last, she stands triumphant before all and cries out: “Am I not the beauty of the Beloved?” To this, the voice of existence confirms that, indeed, she is. Suddenly, the essences of spirit dance. The sincere become mesmerized, and the minds of the holy become distracted. From nowhere, a divine crier shouts out that it is better for a person to glance at her once than it is to possess both worlds.
The houri continues to overturn the established order. She rises up and resurrects all creation, then sits down and breaks hearts. She begins reading sacred messages from an emerald tablet and thereby causes spirits to issue from the realm of names. With devastating power, she points her finger and annihilates past religions, and moves about, thereby splitting the sun of revelation. With great daring, she bares her head so that her ringlets fall down, releasing the Word of God from the strands of her hair. Her black hair sits silhouetted against her white neck, which produces the difference between night and day.
Finally, the houri raises the call of God in “the paradise of presence,” with a stark warning to the righteous. They will be lured away from their goal, and will never attain the heights of paradise. This message is taken from the everlasting tablet, which contains wisdom that is beyond human reach.
Notes
See also another translation of Praised be my Lord, the Most High, carried out by Juan Cole.
For an article about the houri, her role in Baha’u’llah’s writings, and a discussion on Tablet of the Houri, see “The Story of the Divine Houri,” in my book Paradise of Presence: Conversations in the Mindscape of Eternity, chap. 3. To listen to the chapter, see “Paradise of Presence – reading of the introduction and first three chapters.” on YouTube.