French translation posted to multiple listserves
by Khazeh Fananapazír in early July, 2003;
English translation from the French
posted
to Tarjuman by Peter Terry, July 2003;
English rendering from the Farsí
by Khazeh Fananapazír
sent privately
to the Bahá’í Academics Resource Library, July, 2003;
Web edition prepared by Mehdi Wolf, August, 2003
by permission of the translators.
Extract
Lawh-i-Yawm-i-Shahádat-i-Hadrat-i-A’lá[1]
(Le Tablette Concernant l’Anniversaire
du Martyre de Sa Sainteté, Exaltée)
(Tablet Concerning the Day of the Martyrdom
of His Holiness, the Exalted One)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ Abbas
I. Traduit du Persan en Français par Rochan Mavaddat
(Traduction libre, non révisée) 9 / 7 / 2000
Il est le Tout-Glorieux!
Ô toi, honoré ‘Alí Akbar!
Aujourd’hui,
c’est le jour du Martyr de Sa Sainteté le Báb, que notre
âme soit sacrifiée pour son sang béni [versé dans le
Chemin de Dieu]!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel ce “Soleil
de Vérité” s’est occulté derrière les
nuages!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel cet Astre lumineux
s’est éclipsé!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel ce corps pur et
sans taches a roulé dans la poussière rougie par son
sang!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel sa poitrine et son
coeur, immaculés et purs comme un miroir, ont été
criblés par des milliers de balles!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel cette “Lampe
divine” s’est débarrassée de son enveloppe
physique!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel se font entendre
les lamentations de l’Assemblée céleste!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour durant lequel les habitants du
Royaume de Dieu pleurent et gémissent, les yeux en larmes et le coeur déchiré!
II. Translated from the French into English by Peter Terry
He is the All-Glorious One!
O thou honoured ‘Alí Akbar![2]
Today is the Day of His Holiness the Báb - may our souls be
sacrificed for His hallowed blood [spilled in the Path of God]!
Today is the day in which this “Sun of Truth” was hidden
behind the clouds!
Today is the day in which this luminous Star was eclipsed!
Today is the day in which this pure and stainless Body fell in the dust
reddened by His blood!
Today is the day in which His breast and His heart, immaculate and pure
as a mirror, were riddled with thousands of bullets!
Today is the day in which this “divine Lamp” was relieved
of His physical form!
Today is the day in which were heard the lamentations of the Celestial
Concourse!
Today is the day in which the inhabitants of the Kingdom of God weep
and tremble, their eyes full of tears and their hearts torn!
III. Translated from the Persian into English by Khazeh
Fananapazir
He is the
All-Glorious!
O thou honoured
‘Alí Akbar!
This day is the day of the Martyrdom of His Holiness, the Exalted One,
may our heart be sacrificed for His sanctified blood.
This Day is the day in which this “Sun of Truth” concealed
itself behind the clouds of providence.
This Day is the day in which this luminous Orb did set!
This Day is the day in which that Body, pure and without blemish or
spot fell upon and rolled onto the blood soaked earth
This Day is the day in which His chest and His heart, immaculate and
pure like unto a spotless mirror, was riddled by thousands of bullets!
This Day is the day in which that “Divine Lamp” became
severed from Its physical frame!
This Day is the day in which the cries and lamentations of the
Concourse on high are raised
This Day is the day in which the inhabitants of the Kingdom of God weep
and moan, the eyes in tears and their hearts torn!
Notes
[1] Source:
Ayyam-i-Tis’ih [The Nine Days] (Kalimat, 1981), pp. 187-188. (MW’s note).
[2] That is,
Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Shahmirzadí, known as
Hají Akhund, one of the four Hands of the Cause appointed by Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Early in life, he frequented discussions of philosophy and religion, becoming extremely well-verses in the current of his times. He first came into contact with the Faith when he was about nineteen. He became on fire for Bahá’u’lláh upon reading the Kitáb-i-Íqán in 1861. He engaged in teaching, and was forced out of the city of Mashád as a result. He returned to his native city of Sháhmirzad in the province of Khurasan to teach there. He was imprisoned for the first time in Tihrán. Throughout his life, he was in prison a total of 6 times. In one of these cases, on the orders of Nasiri’d-Dín Sháh and his son Kamran Mírzá, the Governor of Tihrán, he suffered imprisonment in Tihrán for 18 months in 1891, but was released. He attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh twice, once in 1873, and the second time in 1888. He was the recipient of many Tablets from the Blessed Beauty, including one in which is revealed a special prayer for the Hands of the Cause. Hají Akhund rendered many services, both to the Faith, and his country. It was Hají Akhund who interceded to Bahá’u’lláh on behalf of the people of Irán,
begging for relief from a severe famine, which had been sent as a chastisement
after the martyrdom of Badí. It was also this same Hají Akhund, with the aid of Jamál-i-Burujird, who, in 1867-68, helped to transfer the remains of the Báb from the Shine of Imám-Zadih Ma’sum in
Tihrán to the Mosque of Masha’u’lláh, in the village of Chashmih-‘Alí, and from thence to the home of Mírzá Hasan-i-Vazir, again in Tihrán. See The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Vol. 3, pp.
85-6, 200-1, 425-27, Vol. 4, 495-301 and Memorials of the Faithful, pp.
9-12 (MW’s note).