Devotional Poetry

Ridvan: Poems celebrating the Declaration of Baha'u'llah

1
Ridvan

The First Day of Ridvan

Joyful Glad Tidings!
In the Garden of Najibilyyah--
the Garden of Ridvan,
the Garden of Paradise--
God's promise was fulfilled
when the Glory of God was unveiled,
when Baha'u'llah entered the Garden of Paradise.

The Ninth Day of Ridvan

Glad Tiding of Great Joy--
Religion was renewed--
Baha'u'llah's family entered the Garden.

The Twelfth Day of Ridvan

Religion renewed,
Baha'u'llah departed from the Garden.

2
Feast of Rivan

Rejoice for this is the divine springtime
when all creation reverberates
with the joy of resurrection.

Come to the Festival of the All-Merciful,
sit at the table of the Lord of Host,
eat the fruit of the Tree of Life,
and drink the wine of unity.

Rejoice for Christ has returned
in the Father's Glory,
and Eden blooms again.

3
A New Creation

The speech of the world's Best Beloved,
descended into the darkness of matter,
echoed through the Garden of Paradise,
diffusing the Nightingale's melody.

The Ancient Beauty's voice,
The Word of God,
Flowed through infinity,
Intoning BE.

The Most Great Spirit's sovereignty,
spread across the surface of the void,
and the primordial atom generated
a new heaven and a new earth,
while in the Garden of Ridvan1
the Glory of God--
reflecting the attributes of divinity--
summoned humanity out of their sepulchers.

4

5
The Nightingale Calls

Out of the darkness that hides the dawn,
The nightingale calls.
His melody echoing across the valley of death,
Waking from sleep the lovers of light.

Out of the light that veils the dawn,
The nightingale calls.
His song echoing across the chaos of morning,
Rousing from slumber the lovers of God.


Poet's Note: ▼

These poems were written over several years. The inspirations was the Feast of Ridvan, which celebrates the Declaration of Baha'u'llah. There are 12 days in Ridvan, with three--the First, Ninth, and Twelfth--being Holy Days on which work is suspended.

Footnotes
1  Means paradise.