"From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity..."
From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me to drink, O my
God, and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable me to taste, O my
Hope! From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to quaff, O my Glory,
and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting providence let me abide, O my
Light! Within the meadows of Thy nearness, before Thy presence, make me
able to roam, O my Beloved, and at the right hand of the throne of Thy
mercy, seat me, O my Desire! From the fragrant breezes of Thy joy let a
breath pass over me, O my Goal, and into the heights of the paradise of
Thy reality let me gain admission, O my Adored One! To the melodies of the
dove of Thy oneness suffer me to hearken, O Resplendent One, and through
the spirit of Thy power and Thy might quicken me, O my Provider! In the
spirit of Thy love keep me steadfast, O my Succorer, and in the path of
Thy good pleasure set firm my steps, O my Maker! Within the garden of
Thine immortality, before Thy countenance, let me abide for ever, O Thou
Who art merciful unto me, and upon the seat of Thy glory stablish me, O
Thou Who art my Possessor! To the heaven of Thy loving-kindness lift me
up, O my Quickener, and unto the Daystar of Thy guidance lead me, O Thou
my Attractor! Before the revelations of Thine invisible spirit summon me
to be present, O Thou Who art my Origin and my Highest Wish, and unto the
essence of the fragrance of Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause me
to return, O Thou Who art my God!
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the Most
Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Highest.
--Baha'u'llah
"Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew..."
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience
within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy
Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy
path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent
might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being,
and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God!
Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion,
and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except
Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine
incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of
the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!
--Baha'u'llah
"He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!..."
He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!
O God, my God! Thy call hath attracted me, and the voice of Thy Pen of
Glory awakened me. The stream of Thy holy utterance hath enraptured me,
and the wine of Thine inspiration entranced me. Thou seest me, O Lord,
detached from all things but Thee, clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and
craving the wonders of Thy grace. I ask Thee, by the eternal billows of
Thy loving-kindness and the shining lights of Thy tender care and favor,
to grant that which shall draw me nigh unto Thee and make me rich in Thy
wealth. My tongue, my pen, my whole being, testify to Thy power, Thy
might, Thy grace and Thy bounty, that Thou art God and there is none other
God but Thee, the Powerful, the Mighty.
I bear witness at this moment, O my God, to my helplessness and Thy
sovereignty, my feebleness and Thy power. I know not that which profiteth
me or harmeth me; Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Do Thou
decree for me, O Lord, my God, and my Master, that which will make me feel
content with Thine eternal decree and will prosper me in every world of
Thine. Thou art in truth the Gracious, the Bountiful.
Lord! Turn me not away from the ocean of Thy wealth and the heaven of Thy
mercy, and ordain for me the good of this world and hereafter. Verily,
Thou art the Lord of the mercy-seat, enthroned in the highest; there is
none other God but Thee, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
--Baha'u'llah
"O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food,..."
O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink, and
Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of
Thee my companion, and the power of Thy sovereignty my succorer, and Thy
habitation my home, and my dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified
from the limitations imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from
Thee.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.
--Baha'u'llah
"Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am..."
Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant who hath laid hold on
the cord of Thy tender mercies, and clung to the hem of Thy bounteousness.
I entreat Thee by Thy name whereby Thou hast subjected all created things,
both visible and invisible, and through which the breath that is life
indeed was wafted over the entire creation, to strengthen me by Thy power
which hath encompassed the heavens and the earth, and to guard me from all
sickness and tribulation. I bear witness that Thou art the Lord of all
names, and the Ordainer of all that may please Thee. There is none other
God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, what will profit me in every world of
Thy worlds. Supply me, then, with what Thou hast written down for the
chosen ones among Thy creatures, whom neither the blame of the blamer, nor
the clamor of the infidel, nor the estrangement of such as have withdrawn
from Thee, hath deterred from turning towards Thee.
Thou, truly, art the Help in Peril through the power of Thy sovereignty.
No God is there save Thee, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
--Baha'u'llah
"O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!..."
O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!
Thou art that King by Whose commanding word the whole creation hath been
called into being; and Thou art that All-Bountiful One the doings of Whose
servants have never hindered Him from showing forth His grace, nor have
they frustrated the revelations of His bounty.
Suffer this servant, I beseech Thee, to attain unto that which is the
cause of his salvation in every world of Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
--Baha'u'llah
"He is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering..."
He is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!
By Thy glory, O Beloved One, Thou giver of light to the world! The flames
of separation have consumed me, and my waywardness hath melted my heart
within me. I ask of Thee, by Thy Most Great Name, O Thou the Desire of the
world and the Well-Beloved of mankind, to grant that the breeze of Thine
inspiration may sustain my soul, that Thy wondrous voice may reach my ear,
that my eyes may behold Thy signs and Thy light as revealed in the
manifestations of Thy names and Thine attributes, O Thou within Whose
grasp are all things!
Thou seest, O Lord my God, the tears of Thy favored ones, shed because of
their separation from Thee, and the fears of Thy devoted ones in their
remoteness from Thy Holy Court. By Thy power, that swayeth all things,
visible and invisible! It behooveth Thy loved ones to shed tears of blood
for that which hath befallen the faithful at the hands of the wicked and
the oppressors on the earth. Thou beholdest, O my God, how the ungodly
have compassed Thy cities and Thy realms! I ask Thee by Thy Messengers and
Thy chosen ones and by Him whereby the standard of Thy divine unity hath
been implanted amidst Thy servants, to shield them by Thy bounty. Thou
art, verily, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful.
And, again, I ask Thee by the sweet showers of Thy grace and the billows
of the ocean of Thy favor, to ordain for Thy saints that which shall
solace their eyes and comfort their hearts. Lord! Thou seest him that
kneeleth yearning to arise and serve Thee, the dead calling for eternal
life from the ocean of Thy favor and craving to soar to the heavens of Thy
wealth, the stranger longing for his home of glory 'neath the canopy of
Thy grace, the seeker hastening by Thy mercy to Thy door of bounty, the
sinful turning to the ocean of forgiveness and pardon.
By Thy sovereignty, O Thou Who art glorified in the hearts of men! I have
turned to Thee, forsaking mine own will and desire, that Thy holy will and
pleasure may rule within me and direct me according to that which the pen
of Thy eternal decree hath destined for me. This servant, O Lord, though
helpless turneth to the Orb of Thy Power, though abased hasteneth unto the
Dayspring of Glory, though needy craveth the Ocean of Thy Grace. I beseech
Thee by Thy favor and bounty, cast him not away.
Thou art verily the Almighty, the Pardoner, the Compassionate.
--Baha'u'llah
"Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give..."
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give Thee thanks inasmuch as Thou
hast called me into being in Thy days, and infused into me Thy love and
Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, by Thy name whereby the goodly pearls of
Thy wisdom and Thine utterance were brought forth out of the treasuries of
the hearts of such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee, and through
which the Daystar of Thy name, the Compassionate, hath shed its radiance
upon all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to supply me, by Thy
grace and bounty, with Thy wondrous and hidden bounties.
These are the earliest days of my life, O my God, which Thou hast linked
with Thine own days. Now that Thou hast conferred upon me so great an
honor, withhold not from me the things Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen
ones.
I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy
love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed
craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and
the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of
Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy
shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the
hearts of all that have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the
fountain of Thy living waters.
Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds.
--Baha'u'llah
"Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure..."
Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of Thy love and Thy
good-pleasure, and through the attractions of Thy resplendent light
enrapture our hearts, O Thou Who art the Supreme Evidence and the
All-Glorified. Send down upon me, as a token of Thy grace, Thy vitalizing
breezes, throughout the daytime and in the night season, O Lord of bounty.
No deed have I done, O my God, to merit beholding Thy face, and I know of
a certainty that were I to live as long as the world lasts I would fail to
accomplish any deed such as to deserve this favor, inasmuch as the station
of a servant shall ever fall short of access to Thy holy precincts, unless
Thy bounty should reach me and Thy tender mercy pervade me and Thy
loving-kindness encompass me.
All praise be unto Thee, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God.
Graciously enable me to ascend unto Thee, to be granted the honor of
dwelling in Thy nearness and to have communion with Thee alone. No God is
there but Thee.
Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst
blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except
Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason
of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou
wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he
might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.
--The Bab
"O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify..."
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers.
I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will
no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O
God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass
me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself
to Thee, O Lord.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee..."
O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee for that Thou hast confirmed me to
the confession of Thy oneness, attracted me unto the word of Thy
singleness, enkindled me by the fire of Thy love, and occupied me with Thy
mention and the service of Thy friends and maidservants.
O Lord, help me to be meek and lowly, and strengthen me in severing myself
from all things and in holding to the hem of the garment of Thy glory, so
that my heart may be filled with Thy love and leave no space for love of
the world and attachment to its qualities.
O God! Sanctify me from all else save Thee, purge me from the dross of
sins and transgressions, and cause me to possess a spiritual heart and
conscience.
Verily, Thou art merciful and, verily, Thou art the Most Generous, Whose
help is sought by all men.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp lighted..."
O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp lighted by the fire of Thy love and
ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree of Thy mercy. O my
Lord! Increase his enkindlement, heat and flame, with the fire which is
kindled in the Sinai of Thy Manifestation. Verily, Thou art the Confirmer,
the Assister, the Powerful, the Generous, the Loving.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant,..."
O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant, hath advanced towards Thee, is
passionately wandering in the desert of Thy love, walking in the path of
Thy service, anticipating Thy favors, hoping for Thy bounty, relying upon
Thy kingdom, and intoxicated by the wine of Thy gift. O my God! Increase
the fervor of his affection for Thee, the constancy of his praise of Thee,
and the ardor of his love for Thee.
Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. There is
no other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O God, my God! This is Thy radiant servant,..."
O God, my God! This is Thy radiant servant, Thy spiritual thrall, who hath
drawn nigh unto Thee and approached Thy presence. He hath turned his face
unto Thine, acknowledging Thy oneness, confessing Thy singleness, and he
hath called out in Thy name among the nations, and led the people to the
streaming waters of Thy mercy, O Thou Most generous Lord! To those who
asked He hath given to drink from the cup of guidance that brimmeth over
with the wine of Thy measureless grace.
O Lord, assist him under all conditions, cause him to learn Thy
well-guarded mysteries, and shower down upon him Thy hidden pearls. Make
of him a banner rippling from castle summits in the winds of Thy heavenly
aid, make of him a wellspring of crystal waters.
O my forgiving Lord! Light up the hearts with the rays of a lamp that
sheddeth abroad its beams, disclosing to those among Thy people whom Thou
hast bounteously favored, the realities of all things.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Protector, the Strong, the
Beneficent! Verily, Thou art the Lord of all mercies!
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants;..."
O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants; they are Thy loyal bondsmen
and Thy handmaidens, who have bowed themselves down before Thine exalted
Utterance and humbled themselves at Thy Threshold of light, and borne
witness to Thy oneness through which the Sun hath been made to shine in
midday splendor. They have listened to the summons Thou didst raise from
out Thy hidden Realm, and with hearts quivering with love and rapture,
they have responded to Thy call.
O Lord, shower upon them all the outpourings of Thy mercy, rain down upon
them all the waters of Thy grace. Make them to grow as beauteous plants in
the garden of heaven, and from the full and brimming clouds of Thy
bestowals and out of the deep pools of Thine abounding grace make Thou
this garden to flower, and keep it ever green and lustrous, ever fresh and
shimmering and fair.
Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Powerful, He Who alone, in
the heavens and on the earth, abideth unchanged. There is none other God
save Thee, the Lord of manifest tokens and signs.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"He is God!..."
He is God!
O God, my God! These are servants attracted in Thy days by the fragrances
of Thy holiness, enkindled with the flame burning in Thy holy tree,
responding to Thy voice, uttering Thy praise, awakened by Thy breeze,
stirred by Thy sweet savors, beholding Thy signs, understanding Thy
verses, hearkening to Thy words, believing Thy Revelation and assured of
Thy loving-kindness. Their eyes, O Lord, are fixed upon Thy kingdom of
effulgent glory and their faces turned toward Thy dominion on high, their
hearts beating with the love of Thy radiant and glorious beauty, their
souls consumed with the flame of Thy love, O Lord of this world and the
world hereafter, their lives seething with the ardor of their longing for
Thee, and their tears poured forth for Thy sake.
Shield them within the stronghold of Thy protection and safety, preserve
them in Thy watchful care, look upon them with the eyes of Thy providence
and mercy, make them the signs of Thy divine unity that are manifest
throughout all regions, the standards of Thy might that wave above Thy
mansions of grandeur, the shining lamps that burn with the oil of Thy
wisdom in the globes of Thy guidance, the birds of the garden of Thy
knowledge that warble upon the topmost boughs in Thy sheltering paradise,
and the leviathans of the ocean of Thy bounty that plunge by Thy supreme
mercy in the fathomless deeps.
O Lord, my God! Lowly are these servants of Thine, exalt them in Thy
kingdom on high; feeble, strengthen them by Thy supreme power; abased,
bestow upon them Thy glory in Thine all-highest realm; poor, enrich them
in Thy great dominion. Do Thou then ordain for them all the good Thou hast
destined in Thy worlds, visible and invisible, prosper them in this world
below, gladden their hearts with Thine inspiration, O Lord of all beings!
Illumine their hearts with Thy joyful tidings diffused from Thine
all-glorious Station, make firm their steps in Thy Most Great Covenant and
strengthen their loins in Thy firm Testament, by Thy bounty and promised
grace, O Gracious and Merciful One! Thou art, verily, the Gracious, the
All-Bountiful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
"O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over..."
O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over the friends in the West the sweet
fragrance of the Holy Spirit, and with the light of divine guidance Thou
hast lit up the western sky. Thou hast made those who were once remote to
draw near unto Thyself; Thou hast turned strangers into loving friends;
Thou hast awakened those who slept; Thou hast made the heedless mindful.
O Thou Provider! Assist Thou these noble friends to win Thy good pleasure,
and make them well wishers of stranger and friend alike. Bring them into
the world that abideth forever; grant them a portion of heavenly grace;
cause them to be true Baha'is, sincerely of God; save them from outward
semblances, and establish them firmly in the truth. Make them signs and
tokens of the Kingdom, luminous stars above the horizons of this nether
life. Make them to be a comfort and a solace to humankind and servants to
the peace of the world. Exhilarate them with the wine of Thy counsel, and
grant that all of them may tread the path of Thy commandments.
O Thou Provider! The dearest wish of this servant of Thy Threshold is to
behold the friends of East and West in close embrace; to see all the
members of human society gathered with love in a single great assemblage,
even as individual drops of water collected in one mighty sea; to behold
them all as birds in one garden of roses, as pearls of one ocean, as
leaves of one tree, as rays of one sun.
Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, and Thou art the God of strength, the
Omnipotent, the All-Seeing.
--'Abdu'l-Baha