Anne Corcoran has again provided a translation of yet another account
of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Naw-Rúz in Paris!
Memories of Young A.
Achraf, Iranian Bahá’í Student in Paris
1913 the Return of ‘Abdu’l
Bahá from America.
During
the 2nd half of the month of March 1913, we received a letter of
invitation from the Iranian Ambassador for Naw Rúz day. On Friday 21st
of March, Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Khán Sahíhí and I left for Paris & headed for
Saint Didier Street where Docteur Muhammad Khán lived. The concierge led us to a hotel on
97 Loriston Street. In the hotel
restaurant we met Ághá Mírzá Ahmad Sohráb and Ághá Mírzá Ahmad Bágherov who
were drinking coffee. In the meantime ‘Abdu’l Bahá had come down from the
terrace and had situated himself in a private room, decorated with a central
table on which were arranged specialties for the New Year, like oriental nuts
and different confectionaries and Iranian & western sweets. It was in this room that we had the
honor of finding ourselves in the presence of ‘Abdu’l Bahá. Ághá Siyyid Ahmad Bágherov was seated
in front of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The
Master wished us happy new year and told us to take our seats. From his clean hands he offered us sweets
and said “the Iranians eat, the Westerners only taste. You are Iranian, you must eat.” We obeyed without hesitation. Meanwhile
Ághá Mírzá Mahmúd Zarqaní and Docteur Muhammad Khán entered. After a few minutes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left
the room leaving Jinábi Zarqaní in charge of hospitality. Mírzá Jalál, Ághá
Mírzá ‘Alí Adíb (son of Jinábi Adíb and Ághá Mírzá, Asadu’lláh arrived later.
We
got up because we were expected at the embassy, but near the door of the hotel
we met Mírzá Husayn Quazvíní (not a bahá’í) who came to pay his respects to ‘Abdu’l
and to tell us that the Embassy reception would take place only in the
afternoon. We couldn’t have asked
for better and we rejoined the friends once more. Mírzá Mahmúd Morshedzádih and ‘Iísá Sadíq who were students
of pedagogy at the School of Versailles also arrived. At this moment the Master
returned and we all followed him to the function room. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked about the health of
all the new arrivals and wished them a happy new year.
Then he spoke of the festival of Naw-Rúz Ághá Mírzá
Ahmad Sohráb translated as he had a few English and French friends, in the
audience, and also a distinguished non Bahá’í young man who having heard of the
name of ‘Abdu’l- Bahá, read in the newspapers the news of his arrival in Paris
and had asked permission to pay his respects. All, bahá’ís and non-bahá’ís fixed their eyes on ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá and listened to his words with delight. Then before midday the Westerners asked to be excused. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went into the dining
room. Four of us got ready to take
a break, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited us to stay. There were nine of us around the table: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Entezámu’s-Saltanih, Docteur Muhammad Khán, Achráf, Issá Sádíq, Mírzá Husayn
Quazvíní, Mírzá Mahmúd Morshedzádih, Agha Mírzá Jalál, and Ághá Mírzá
Habíbu’lláh Khán Sahíhí. ‘Abdu’l
Bahá spoke about Iranian & western food and also on the theme of the
traditions and customs of both cultures.
After lunch Ághá Mírzá Ahmad Sohráb presented ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with two
bouquets of flowers offered by an English friend who had been present in the
morning. ‘Abdu’l- Bahá accepted
them and then retired to rest.
At
mid-day we met up at the Iranian Embassy. The Iranian bahá’ís who passed through or were resident in
Paris, were obliged, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to present themselves at the embassy. Everyone arrived gradually, the
students remained longer than others in order to tell their problems to the plenipotentiary
minister Momtázu’s-Saltanih. It
was at that moment that ‘Abdu’l Bahá arrived with M. Dreyfus, into the large
hall of the embassy. The minister
invited all the students to present themselves to ‘Abdu’l Bahá. We placed ourselves all around the
large hall. There were about
thirty of us. ‘Abdu’l- Bahá
extended his greetings and kindness to all, good wishes for the new year and
praised them for their efforts in the road of commerce, science and learning. He spoke in detail on the subject of
historical antecedents of arab and european
culture and affirmed that the latter had much of the former. He described the transmission of
science and learning from the Arabs to the Europeans through the Spanish
intermediaries. He added “You also, must learn from the Europeans
and acquire the qualities and knowledge, which they have to offer, in order to
offer them the gifts of Iran. I
pray for you that you will may be successful.” All the audience listened in silence with the greatest
concentration and the greatest respect.
At the end of ‘Abdu’l Bahá’s explanation, the minister invited him in to
another room for tea. After a quarter of an hour the Master returned and we had
the honor of seeing him once more before his departure with M. Dreyfus.
But before leaving M. Dreyfus announced to the Bahá’í
students that there would be a party that evening at his home. So having dined at a restaurant we presented
ourselves at the home of M. Dreyfus.
There was a large gathering - western and Iranian bahá’ís. ‘Abdu’l Bahá explained Naw-Rúz. He covered the history of the creation
of this holiday, from ancient times until the era of Bahá’u’lláh, and described
the traditions and Iranian customs.
Dressing in new clothes, eating and drinking sweets, celebrating. To conclude he compared the Festival of
Naw Rúz with divine revelation and the inauguration of a new era. He recalled the customs of the ancient
kings which. In those days, consisted in planning and founding new buildings, works
and institutions. He expressed the necessity of founding, at such a blessed
time, charitable institutions, to lay the foundations of peace assemblies as a memory of the holiday, so that people
can say in the future, this work is the result of the festival of Naw-Rúz of
such a year. ‘Abdu’l- Bahá spoke in Persian and M. Dreyfus translated. When the Master finished his talk he
shook the hands of everyone present and left the room.
This is the account of six meetings which I had the
privilege of having with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. [‘The
other accounts were about 1911 visit. A.C.]
Achraf
Achraf Extract from” Payam-í-Bahá’í” july-august 1981. Translation Mahnaze A. de Silveira. [English translation Anne
Corcoran. Words of ‘Abdu’l Bahá
are not exact]
Sur les pas de ’Abdu’l
Bahá a Paris. Paris
deviendra un Jardin de Roses p 53
(In the steps of ‘Abdu’l Bahá. Paris becomes a Garden of Roses)
Librairie
Bahá′í 1998 A book produced for the centenary of
the Bahá′í Faith in France in 1998.
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