Baha'i Songs & Poems

July 20, 2013

"All art is a gift of the Holy Spirit..." - 'Abdu'l-Baha

February 17, 2013

The Báb -- a poem by Robert Koehl written for the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Báb

O thou Morning Star:

What flaming beauty Thine,

Intoxicating men like wine,

To draw them from afar!

O Messenger of God:

How great the need for Thee,

And yet, Thy worth, how few could see

To walk where Thou has trod!

O Forerunner of the Kingdom:

What Spirit hath Thine eyes shown forth,

That twenty thousands saw its worth,

And followed Thee in martyrdom!

O Prophet of the Lord:

Who for Thy Cause Thyself preserved,

But finishing, men's laws observed,

And died for their accord!

O twofold Prince and Guide:

Who mirrored forth Thy Lord,

And gazed straight heavenward,

And saw Baha'u'llah, ere Thou hadst died.

O Reformer of this Day:

What fiery accents used!

What mighty laws infused

In men who sleeping lay!

O Primal Point:

Thy mightiest Name adored –

In which all Names are stored,

Who did men's souls anoint;

We ask to learn of Thee

How power flows to men

From out God's mighty Pen

And makes them truly free.

(The Baha'i World 1938-1940)

December 5, 2012

Remover of Difficulties

Is there any remover of difficulties save God?
Say praised be God He is God
All are His servants and all abide by His bidding.

October 12, 2012

The Friend of Understanding Love – a poem by Elizabeth Hackley

None but Thee can understand our hearts,
O Friend of Love Divine!
Tho we seek thru all the world for friends,
Whose love will be like Thine!
None but Thee can understand our failures,
And know our deepest need;
Only Thou canst lift us from ourselves,
Our burdened souls relieve.

None but Thee can satisfy our longing,
Our Father and our God!
None but Thee can understand our problems,
The road that we have trod.
Only Thou canst lead us out of darkness
And light in us increase;
Only Thou canst raise us from our death
In self, and give us peace!
(Baha’i Magazine, vol.24, no. 4, July 1933)

September 19, 2012

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Translated from the original Zulu

Baha'is of Swaziland

June 15, 2012

The Royal Falcon

April 29, 2012

Jewel in the Lotus -- Music by James Seals and Jack Lenz; Sung by Dash Crofts and and "The Best Singers in Toronto" Choir

Sing to the jewel in the lotus, sing in the temple of love.

Sing to the beauty he gives us, sing to the children above.
Hearts filled with gladness, overflowing in adoration, raise our voices to the glory.
Sing to the new creation, praise with our hearts full of love.
Sing to the jewel in the lotus, praise to the Kingdom above.
Listen oh people, thou art in safety. Thine is the sovereignty,
Ancient, imperishable and everlasting love.

Dawning place of the mention of God, dawning place of the mention of God.
Lift up our hearts to the [billions of stars?]. Sing, sing, sing. . .

Sing to the jewel in the lotus, sing in the temple of love.
Sing to the beauty he gives us, sing to the children above.
Hearts filled with gladness, overflowing in adoration,
Spirit will lift us, bless us, everlasting love.

Hand by hand the water is brought, heart to heart through deed and by thought
Age to age the servants have toiled, sacrificed, they raise from the soil
The Temple of God, Temple of God, Temple of God.
And now behold with eyes that are solaced
the light that is shining from the jewel in the lotus.

Sing to the new creation, praise with our hearts full of love.
Sing to the jewel in the lotus, praise to the Kingdom above.
Listen oh people, thou art in safety. Thine is the sovereignty,
Ancient, imperishable and everlasting love.
Sing for the earth is one country, sing in the springtime of love.
Sing for all the religions, sing to the glory of God.
Sing, sing, sing!

March 18, 2012

On Hearing of Enoch's Murder – a poem by Ruhiyyih Khanum, 17 September 1979

[Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, his wife and three of their children were slain by unknown gunmen September 16, 1979, outside their home in Kampala, Uganda]

The sunlight is black
The sunlight is black
What raven wing
Covered my sun at noonday?

In my mouth is the salt of tears
I cannot swallow so much salt . . .

Blood is so beautiful
Blood is so pure
Why do the people let blood
Run in the street?

So long it took
To make this man
Noble and good
His mind and his soul
Expanded like sunlight
At noonday.

Why did you kill him?
Are you pleased at this riddled shell,
This mangle of bone and flesh?
Did you think your deed in the dark
Was a bright light?

Everything is pulsing,
Throbbing and throbbing!
There is no answer
And the sunlight is black.

Go Enoch go!
Go to Musa on the hill
Go to your Master
Go to your Guardian
Go to the Kingdom of Light!

But ask not of us
Nor of your people
Who have plucked a sin
Big enough and dark enough
To blot out the noonday sun!

Woe to Africa!
Weep as you have not wept before,
Weep on your knees,
Weep your eyes blind,
You have murdered Abu'l-Futuh,
The Father of Victories is dead
At your hand, at your hand!
Your jewelled crown
Placed by God on your head
Is rolled into the grave-
Weep, weep, weep your heart away.
(The Baha’i World, 1979-1983)

January 22, 2012

Prayer – a poem by H. H. Rycroft

We met, we talk'd, we listen'd, and lo:

God, the Shining One, the Peerless,

Fill'd our souls with love so fearless

That temple walls were cleans'd from sin

And fit for Him to sojourn in.

We sat, we pray'd, we waited, and lo:

God, the Glorious One, the Father,

Came Himself our gifts to gather,

And ev'ry deed our spirits told

Was magnified a thousand-fold.

We stood, we wept, we trembled, and lo:

God, the Mover of creation,

Granted each his proper station,

Appointed each a hidden scar,

The Sacred Wonder of Abhá.

(Star of the West, vol. 16, no. 5, August 1925)

January 2, 2012

Mona With the Children – Lyrics by Seals and Crofts, Music by Doug Cameron

A 16 year old girl living in a land so cruel, she said this where I've got to be.

Taken in the night, her heart full of light, she said this where I've got to be.

How can I tell you, how could she be so young to know the truth in all her dreams.

She stands before them to hear them say, save your life and throw your faith away.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

All around the world we'll go dancing.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

Every precious moment you'll be dancing

Every precious moment we'll be free.

I can see her in my heart when the whole world is falling apart she said, this where I've got to be.

Captive in the light, a love that burns so bright, this where I've got to be.

When they asked her, what could she say, she said

You can't break my heart, you can't take my faith away

When they told her the price she'll have to pay

She said take my life, take it all the way, all the way.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

All around the world I see you dancing.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

Every precious moment you'll be dancing

Every precious moment you'll be free.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

All around the world our souls go dancing.

Mona With the Children you gave your life

All around the world we’ll go dancing

All around the world we’ll be free.

Mona With the Children send your love

All around the world souls are dancing.

Mona With the Children, send your love to me

All around the world I see you dancing, so pretty dancing.

Mona With the Children Mona send your love

All around the world we’ll go dancing.

Mona With the Children send your love to me

Every precious day, I’ll be dancing, I’ll be dancing.

October 23, 2011

The Shepherd’s Voice – a poem by Shahnaz Waite

In Palestine the shepherds still

Watch o’er their sheep as they of old,

Each has his call, and this is known

Alone by sheep of his fold;

And though throughout the day they roam

When evening comes he calls them home.

Though many sheep of different folds

May mingle on the hills as one,

Yet each will answer but one voice,

His shepherd's voice when day is done;

And if a sheep lose the track

No hireling can call it back.

God's Shepherds come into this world,

And give their Call –amidst earth’s din,

And only those who know His Call,

Arise with joy and follow Him;

“My sheep shall know My Voice” Christ said,

"By it alone will they be led.”

Unless we know the Voice of Truth,

It's tender tones we do not hear;

All unfamiliar, strange are they;

E'en though the Shepherd doth appear

We know Him not, and onward roam,

When He has come to call us Home.

Open our ears we pray O God!

That we may hear the Voice Divine,

And know the Shepherd when He calls,

And follow – for His Voice is Truth;

Our souls shall then each day be fed

And into pastures green be led.

(Star of the West, vol. 17, no.5, August, 1926)

October 7, 2011

Orientation – a poem by May Maxwell

O thou divine Bird

From gardens of light!

Thy heart-piercing song

Hath shattered the night,

Dispelling the gloom

And flooding the air!

The world hath not seen

But felt thou wert there.

O thou divine Rose

From gardens of love!

Thy form of substance,

Thy breath from above,

Exhales to the world

A perfume so rare,

That tho' still unseen

We know thou art there.

O thou divine Star

From the realms on high!

Thy radiant beams

Fill earth, air, and sky!

Bereaved of the Sun

The world unaware

Now turns to Its Glory

And sees -- Thou art there!

(Star of the West, Vol. 15, No. 4, July, 1924)