We must now highly resolve to arise and lay hold of all those instrumentalities that promote the peace and well-being and happiness, the knowledge, culture and industry, the dignity, value and station, of the entire human race. Thus, through the restoring waters of pure intention and unselfish effort, the earth of human potentialities will blossom with its own latent excellence and flower into praiseworthy qualities, and bear and flourish until it comes to rival that rosegarden of knowledge which belonged to our forefathers.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

بايد دامنِ همّت به كمرِ غيرت زد و از هر جهت به اسبابِ آسايش و راحت و سعادت و معارف و تمدّن و صنايع و عزّت و شرف و علوِّ منزلتِ جمعيّتِ بشريّه تشبّث نمود تا از زلالِ نيّتِ خالصه و سلسالِ جهد و كوشش اراضیِ قابليّاتِ انسانيّه به رياحينِ فضايلِ ذاتيّه و شقايقِ حقايقِ خصايلِ حميده سرسبز و خرّم گشته رشكِ گلستانِ معارفِ اسلاف گردد

حضرت عبدالبهاء

This is a passage from The Secret of Divine Civilization, a treatise written by ʻAbdu’l-Bahá in 1875. The flowing rhyme and assonance used in this excerpt are characteristic of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá’s distinctively beautiful style.

Original Sources

  • The source for the original Persian text can be found here
  • The source for the English translation can be found here

Further References