| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) | Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| The eye of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch as ye have failed to recognize the One upon Whom ye have been calling in the daytime and in the night season, at even and at morn. | |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) | Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| The eye of My providence weepeth over you for that you did not know the one upon whom you called morning and evening, at dawn and eventide. | |
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) | Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
| The eye of My providential care weeps over you because you know not Him upon whom you call at night and dawn and at every evening and morning. | |
| Notes to Translations (1998) | Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) | Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Advance, O people, with snow-white faces and radiant hearts, unto the blest and crimson Spot, wherein the Sadratu'l-Muntaha is calling: "Verily, there is none other God beside Me, the Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting!" | |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) | Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Turn, o people, with bright faces and illuminated hearts towards the blessed red spot in which the Sadrat-El-Muntaha (divine tree) crieth out, "Verily there is no God but Me, the protector, the self-Existent." | |
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) | Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
| O People, direct your steps with white faces and hearts full of light towards the Blessed Red Spot where the Lote Tree of the Extremity (sidratu l-muntaha) calls, [note 6] "There is no god besides Me, the Self-Subsistent Overseer." | |
| Notes to Translations (1998) | Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) | Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved. | |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) | Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| O ye assemblies of learned (ones)! Can anyone of you cope with me in the field of revelation and knowledge? Or can anyone follow round the race-course of wisdom and expression? (are challenged to reproduce a like book). No, by my Lord, the merciful! Everything upon this earth is perishable, and will not endure except the face of your Lord, the precious, the beloved! | |
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) | Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
| O assembly of learned men (al-'ulama'), is anyone of you able to compete with Me in the field of Revelation and Spiritual Knowledge and go about with Me in the arena of Wisdom and Explanation? No! By My Merciful Lord, everyone on the earth is mortal and this is the face of your Lord, the Mighty One, the Beloved. | |
| Notes to Translations (1998) | Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) | Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge; and yet, behold how ye have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed. | |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) | Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| O people! We have ordained sciences for the purpose of knowing the known; but by them you were veiled from Him who is the dawning-place of such sciences and by whom every hidden matter became manifest. | |
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) | Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
| O People, We, indeed, have appointed the (branches of) learning for the spiritual knowledge of the Known (God). But you have remained veiled by them from their source, Him by whom every hidden thing appears. | |
| Notes to Translations (1998) | Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |
| Authorized translation (ca. 1953-1992) | Authorized Arabic text (1995) |
| Could ye but discover the source whence the splendour of this utterance is diffused, ye would cast away the peoples of the world and all that they possess, and would draw nigh unto this most blessed Seat of glory. | |
| Haddad translation (1900-01) | Provisional Arabic transliteration (1998) |
| Were ye to know the horizon wherefrom the sun of speech hath shone, you would have rejected all mankind and that which is in their possessions and advanced unto the extolled station. | |
| Provisional Literal translation (1998) | Earl E. Elder translation (1961) |
| If you only knew the Horizon from which the Sun of Speech arose, you would cast away people and what they have and would come to the Praised Station | |
| Notes to Translations (1998) | Correspondence on Literal trans. (1998) |