"...Leave blood and noise and all of these, And say no more of Shams-i-Tabríz."

"I began this epistle some time ago, in thy remembrance, and since thy letter had not reached me then, I began with some words of reproach. Now, thy new missive hath dispelled that feeling and causeth Me to write thee. To speak of My love for thine Eminence is needless. “God is a sufficient witness!” 21 For his Eminence Shaykh Muḥammad—May God the Exalted bless him!—I shall confine Myself to the two following verses which I request be delivered to him:

I seek thy nearness, dearer than sweet Heaven;
I see thy visage, fairer than Paradise bowers. 22

When I entrusted this message of love to My pen, it refused the burden, and it swooned away. Then coming to itself, it spoke and said, “Glory be to Thee! To Thee do I turn in penitence, and I am the first of them that believe.” 23 Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!

Let us tell, some other day
This parting hurt and woe;
Let us write, some other way,
Love’s secrets—better so.
Leave blood and noise and all of these,
And say no more of Shams-i-Tabríz. 24

Peace be upon thee, and upon those who circle around thee and attain thy meeting.

What I had written ere this hath been eaten by the flies, so sweet was the ink. As Sa’dí saith:

“I shall forbear from writing any longer, for my sweet words have drawn the flies about me.”

And now the hand can write no more, and pleadeth that this is enough. Wherefore do I say,
“Far be the glory of thy Lord, the Lord of all greatness, from what they affirm of Him.” 25

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, The Four Valleys; Fourth Valley, pp. 63-65


21. Qur’án 4:164.
22. Sa’dí. [
23. Qur’án 7:140.
24. Shams-i-Tabríz, the Súfí who exerted a powerful influence on Jalálu’d-Dín Rúmí, 
diverting his attention from science to Mysticism. A great part of Rúmí’s works are dedicated to him. 
These lines are from the Mathnaví.
25. Qur’án 37:180.