’Tis from Our rapture that the clouds of realms above are raining down;
’Tis from Our anthem that the mysteries of faith are raining down.Upon the Eastern wind Cathay’s entrancing musk doth waft;
This sweetly scented breeze from Our curling locks is raining down.The day-star of adornment hath dawned forth above the face of God;
Behold that mystic truth which from His Countenance is raining down.The sea of purity hath from the wave of true reunion surged;
This precious, rare bestowal from Our rapture is raining down.The treasuries of love lay hid within the very heart of Fárs;
From out this treasure trove the pearls of faithfulness are raining down.The splendour of the rose doth bring the ecstasy of choicest wine;
This subtle music from the ringing tones of Lordship is raining down.The trumpet-blast of Judgement Day, the joyful bliss of heaven’s call—
Both at a single breath are from the firmament now raining down.The Day of “I am He” is made to shine resplendent from Our face;
The Age of “He is He” from out Our flowing cup is raining down.From out the fountain of Our heart hath God’s celestial river flowed;
This cup of honeyed nectar from Our ruby lips is raining down.The Day of God hath been fulfilled, for lo, the Lord hath been unveiled;
This wondrous message from the melody of Ṭá’ is raining down.Behold Bahá’s outpouring grace, the bounty of the clouds above,
Which, merged into a single song, in God’s own voice is raining down.Behold the Lord’s leviathan, behold His sacred countenance;
Behold the blessings of the heart that from His throne are raining down.Behold the Palm of Paradise, behold the warbling of the Dove;
Behold the glorious hymns that in the purest light are raining down.Behold the soul-entrancing song, behold the beating of the drum,
Behold the sacred rhythms that from Our hand are raining down.Behold the Countenance Divine! Behold the Maid of Paradise!
Behold the grace upon the world from Our own presence raining down.Behold the everlasting Face! Behold the chalice-bearer’s charm!
Behold the crystal draught that from Our brimming cup is raining down.Behold the fire of Moses, see His hand that shineth white;
Behold the heart of Sinai—from Our hand all raining down.Hear ye the sotted lovers’ sighs, behold the garden blooming fair;
Behold the bliss that from His presence in your midst is raining down.Behold the radiant face of Há’, behold the beauteous robe of Bá’;
Behold the Lordly grace that from Our Pen is raining down.The vessel of the Advent this, the clouds of limpid waters these;
Bahá’u’lláh
The trill of songbirds this, from Our fleeting Wellspring raining down.
رشح عما از جذبۀ ما می‌ریزد
سرّ وفا از نغمۀ ما می‌ریزد
از باد صبا مشک خطا گشته پدید
وین نفحۀ خوش از جعدۀ ما می‌ریزد
شمس طراز از طلعت حقّ کرده طلوع
سرّ حقیقت بین کز وجهۀ ثا می‌ریزد
بحر صفا از موج لقا کرده خروش
وین طرفه عطا از جذبۀ ما می‌ریزد
گنجینۀ حبّ در سینۀ فا گشته نهان
زین گنج محبّت درّ وفا می‌ریزد
بهجت مل از نظرۀ گل شد ظاهر
این لحن ملیح از نغمۀ را می‌ریزد
نقرۀ ناقوری جذبۀ لاهوتی
این هر دو بیک نفحه از جوّ سما می‌ریزد
دور انا هو از چهرۀ ما کرده بروز
کور هو هو از طفحۀ ما می‌ریزد
کوثر حق از حقّۀ دل گشته هویدا
این ساغر شهد از لعل بها می‌ریزد
یوم خدا از جلوۀ ربّ شد کامل
این نغز حدیث از غنّۀ طا می‌ریزد
طفح بهائی بین رشح عمائی بین
کاین جمله ز یک نغمه از لحن خدا می‌ریزد
ماهی سرمد بین طلع منزّه بین
صدر ممرّد بین کز عرش علا می‌ریزد
نخلۀ طوبی بین رنّۀ ورقا بین
غنّۀ ابهی بین کز لمع صفا می‌ریزد
آهنگ عراقی بین دفّ نوائی بین
کفّ الهی بین کز ضربۀ ما می‌ریزد
طلعت لاهوتی بین حوری هاهوتی بین
جلوۀ ناسوتی بین کز ساحت ما می‌ریزد
وجهۀ باقی بین چهرۀ ساقی بین
رقّ زجاجی بین کز کوبۀ با می‌ریزد
آتش موسی بین بیضۀ بیضا بین
سینۀ سینا بین کز کفّۀ ما می‌ریزد
نالۀ مستان بین سبزۀ بستان بین
جذبۀ هستان بین کز صحن لقا می‌ریزد
وجهۀ هائی بین طرزۀ بائی بین
نظرۀ هائی بین کز کلک بها می‌ریزد
طفح ظهور است این رشح طهور است این
غنّ طیور است این کز عین فنا می‌ریزد
حضرت بهاءالله
The Utterance Project is delighted to present this recitation of the Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above), one of our most popular requests. This Writing of Bahá’u’lláh was revealed in Ṭihrán, making it one of His earliest compositions known to us thus far. The Rashḥ-i-‘Amá has the distinction of not only being one of the few poems Bahá’u’lláh revealed, but also resembling a kind of prose poem. While it uses decidedly poetic imagery and ample internal rhyme, it does not conform to a consistent meter or rhyme scheme (apart from a monorhyme), thus setting it apart from the more traditional Persian poetry that had been composed up to that time. The authorized English translation retains the original monorhyme by ending every second hemistich with “raining down” (repeated in the original Persian as mírízad), and is mostly set to iambic octameter (with a few shifts to iambic heptameter), but like the Persian does not use a traditional rhyme scheme.
The Rashḥ-i-‘Amá is a highly allusive poem that contains many subtle references to the outpouring of Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation at this early and heady time in His life; the ineffable relationship between God and the Manifestation on the one hand, and between the Manifestation and humanity on the other; and many other rarefied themes. To give just one example (perhaps the most immediately obvious), listeners will notice several instances where Bahá’u’lláh hints at His own Self through variations of His title: bá, bahá, and bahá’í.
The Persian text of the Rashḥ-i-‘Amá used in this video was supplied by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice a few years ago in the form of a typescript based on a version of the poem transcribed by Bahá’u’lláh’s most eminent and reliable scribe, Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín. This is the same version of the poem that served as the basis for the authorized English translation featured in this video and published in The Call of the Divine Beloved.
Original Sources