Guide 03 Bahá'í literature independent reference
The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh: a short book of verses
The Hidden Words is one of the shortest and most widely read works of Bahá'u'lláh. This page explains how it is arranged and where the English text is published.
The short answer
The Hidden Words is a book of brief, poetic verses by Bahá'u'lláh. Each one is a short address, usually beginning with a phrase such as "O Son of Spirit" or "O Son of Man". The verses speak about the human relationship to God, the value of a pure heart, justice, humility and the transience of worldly things. Their brevity makes the book easy to read in short sittings.
Arabic and Persian parts
The book is arranged in two parts. The first has 71 verses written in Arabic, and the second has 82 verses written in Persian, making 153 in all. Bahá'u'lláh composed them in the late 1850s, when he was living in Baghdad. Bahá'í sources note that he first called the Arabic part by a title meaning the Hidden Book of Fátimih, and the work later became known as the Hidden Words.
The form of the verses
Each verse is numbered within its part, and Bahá'í writing normally cites it that way, for example as the Arabic Hidden Words, number 1. The verses stand alone, so the book can be opened anywhere. Because they are condensed, a single verse can easily be quoted out of context, which is one reason a new reader should consult the full text and not only the quotation.
Translation into English
The standard English translation was made by Shoghi Effendi and first published in 1929. It uses an elevated style close to the language of the King James Bible, which some readers find beautiful and others find dated. If a modern edition or paraphrase uses simpler wording, check whether it presents itself as the authorised translation or as an adaptation.
Where to read it
The Hidden Words is freely available in English and many other languages in the Bahá'í Reference Library. The Persian and Arabic originals are published there as well for readers who work in those languages. Searches that mention a PDF usually lead to unofficial copies, so for an accurate text it is safer to start from the official library or a printed edition.
To see where the book sits among the other writings, read the overview of the holy books.