Bicentenary Poems and Prose

1 Muharram 1235 AH

1 Muharram 1235 AH

"Blessed art thou, O night! For through thee was born the Day of God, a Day which We have ordained to be the lamp of salvation unto the denizens of the cities of names, the chalice of victory unto the champions of the arenas of eternity, and the dawning-place of joy and exultation unto all creation."

Baha'u'llah1

O Night of Beauty!
All the world lay sleeping
in beds of heedlessness,
unaware
of the birth
of a New Heaven and a New Earth.

O Night of Splendor!
I intone my gratitude
for the Creator's kindness--
for the birth of Siyyid `Alí Muhammad Shírází--
for the birth of The Bab
on this wondrous night,
and for the light
His nativity
shed upon humanity.

Poet's Note: ▼

This is the first in a series of 200 poem I am writing to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of The Bab, which will occur on October 29, 2019. This poem was inspired by a tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah, which was addressed to the night of The Bab's birth. The beginnings of this poem can be found in "I Blog Poetry and Prose"  "Happiness, 1 Muharram 1235 AH, and Letting Go of the Past" .

Footnotes
1  Days of Remembrance, Birth of the Bab: Selection 40.