he
heedless with mindfulness, the sleepers with wakefulness, and the proud
with humility. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, Thou art the Forgiver! Thou
art the Loving! Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Most High!

O friends of God, and assistants of this humble servant! When the Sun of
Truth shone forth with Hi infinite bounties from the dawning-place of
hopes, and the horizon of existence was illuminated through the radiance
of sanctity--then He cast forth such splendor whereby the gloomy darkness
disappeared! Therefore, the earth became the envy of the celestial world,
and the realm of dust was made a scene of the exalted kingdom. Then the
fragrances of holiness exhaled, and the sweet odors were diffused. The
breeze of the divine spring blew, and the fruitful winds of infinite
generosity passed by from the point of favor. The brilliant morning dawned
and the glad-tidings of the greatest gift were announced. The divine
spring appeared throughout the contingent world. The earth of existence
moved and the material world was put in motion. The barren and dried up
soil turned into an eternal garden, and the inanimate earth was endowed
with eternal life. The flowers and myrtles of knowledge grew, and the
fresh herbage of the knowledge of God flourished. The material world
showed forth the bounties of the Merciful, and the visible world displayed
the scene of the invisible world. The call of God was raised, the divine
banquet celebrated, the cup of the Testament was circulated and the
universal acclamation was uttered!

Among the people, a multitude became intoxicated with this divine wine--and
a multitude were deprived of this great favor. Many a soul enlightened his
sight and insight by the radiance of grace, and many were cheered and
rejoiced at the melodies of unity. Some birds sang melodies and harmonies,
and some nightingales began to warble on the branches of the rose-tree of
mercifulness. The Kingdom and the phenomenal world were adorned, and
became the envy of the delectable paradise--but, alas--and a thousand times
alas!--that the heedless souls are still in the sleep of negligence, and
the ignorant are keeping clear of this holy gift. The blind are veiled,
the deaf are bereft and the dead despair of attaining to it; just as it is
said (in the Koran) "They despair of the life to come, as the infidels
despair (of the resurrection of) those who dwell in the graves."

As to you--O friends of the Merciful!--move your to