“O thou sign of the Kingdom and the bird singing with...”

O thou sign of the Kingdom and the bird singing with the most wonderful melodies in the rose-garden of Paradise!

Verily, I have considered the meanings of thy brilliant letter which was of most eloquent expression and found it overflowing with praise, thanksgiving, sanctification, supplication and invocation toward the Supreme Kingdom. By my life, it was like unto a rose-garden adorned with the myrtles of realities and truths, wherefrom the pure fragrances emanated and perfumed the nostrils and dilated the hearts and souls.

O thou maid-servant of God! Display thou an effort, gird up the loins of endeavor, dilate thy breast and be thou prepared for the manifestation of the breaths of the Holy Spirit in thine heart. By God, the true One, verily, the Holy Spirit confirmeth every maid-servant who ariseth to spread the fragrances of God, so that the inhabitants of the whole world cannot overcome her spiritual strength—for similar things have happened in the past centuries.

O thou maid-servant of God! Celebrate the praises of God; become thou engaged with His mentioning like unto the tempestuous and roaring torrent rushing down from the mountains and hills; rend asunder the veils and coverings, so that the shining lights may become manifest to the eyes, refreshing the hearts of the righteous ones with the gentle breezes of the flowers of truth and the sweet fragrance of the dawn of eternity.

O thou maid-servant of God! Verily, the bounties of thy Lord are great and great in this glorious century and new age; the confirmations are consecutive and continuous; the rays of the Sun of Truth are shining and sparkling; the stars of guidance are gleaming and scintillating and the rains of generosity are falling and flowing! Blessing is upon the one who taketh a share from this glorious outpouring and receiveth illumination from this light which is shining forth from the firmament of ether.

O thou maid-servant of God! Blessed art thou, for the Temple of the Covenant (Abdul-Baha) hath become manifest to thee in a dream with incomparable humility and submission toward God, and that thou hast beheld that countenance overflowing with yearning, attraction and love toward the Beauty of the Almighty. Ere long thou shalt witness a great effect through this observation, whereby the spirit of life will become manifest in thee, which is now flowing in the veins of the contingent beings. Then thou shalt behold that which none have seen! At that time thou shalt fall upon the ground before God the True One, for He hath favored thee with this most great bounty.

Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas (1909). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19312.

'Abdu'l-Bahá. (1909). *Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19312/pg19312-images.html