O bird that singeth sweetly of the Abha Beauty! In this new and wondrous
dispensation the veils of superstition have been torn asunder and the
prejudices of eastern peoples stand condemned. Among certain nations of
the East, music was considered reprehensible, but in this new age the
Manifest Light hath, in His holy Tablets, specifically proclaimed that
music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and heart.
The musician's art is among those arts worthy of the highest praise, and
it moveth the hearts of all who grieve. Wherefore, O thou _Sh_ahnaz,(33)
play and sing out the holy words of God with wondrous tones in the
gatherings of the friends, that the listener may be freed from chains of
care and sorrow, and his soul may leap for joy and humble itself in prayer
to the realm of Glory.