I don't know if I should feel embarrassed to admit this, but here we go...❤️🙏🏽 For the past few decades I've been reciting "Intone O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him. That the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul..."
It never occurred to me that "intone" does not mean "speak aloud."
I always assumed Bahá'u'lláh was instructing us to speak these prayers and holy scriptures out loud. He even made it super clear with the words "sweetness of thy melody." But I assumed that was rhetorical, because I'm not a singer, so my melody is not all that sweet so He must not have meant that literally.
As I was working on the video for the Intone O My Servant song on AllTheWordsORG YouTube channel, I felt inspired to begin with a blank screen--with the definition of "intone" centered there.
My thought was that this would focus the viewer on Bahá'u'lláh's instructions.
Intone O My Servant Doesn't Mean "Out Loud?"
Well, I blew my own mind with what turned out to be a true "ah hah" moment for me. intone does not mean to speak aloud, it means to utter in musical or prolonged tones: to chant.
If you are a singer, you probably already know this. If you grew up in a home where prayers are chanted daily, you probably already know this. But in my many years in the Faith, I did not make the connection that "intone O My servamt" means to elongate the vowels and "sing" the words.
As the young people say: "I was today years old..." 🤯
Since starting this channel, most of my deep spiritual practice revolves around singing aloud with these songs, and MY GOD it has changed and deepened my connection to the WORD and its SOURCE so significantly!!
A few days ago I was speaking to a young man (a relatively new Bahá'i) about this, and he said he struggles to "feel it" when he prays from the prayer book because it's hard for him to conjure emotions from just reading the words.
I suggested he sing the prayer along with the songs at AllTheWords--- I'm so eager to speak to him again to see if prayer has changed for him as it has for me -- and for many of the listeners here who have shared their comments:
"Absolutely stunning and soul stirring...takes me into another realm of existence."
"I have been reciting, hearing, reading this tablet for decades. It has never affected me as much as this rendering of it did. I could relate and feel it much more and the tears were flowing without my control..."
"An ocean of Love, tears and a direct heart and soul connection to this mighty Tablet!"
"I was transported to another realm, and unaware of all things on this earthly plane."
"...presented as my heart and soul LONG to hear!!! The beauty, power and overwhelming intensity of it are truly inspiring..."
"This song carries me out of this world..." 😭😭😭
As a writer (who should know the meanings of words 🫣) I'm a bit embarrassed to have learned this lesson so late... AND I'm so thankful for being called to this service!!
Do you feel a difference between reading a prayer silently, reciting it aloud, and singing or chanting it? What would your advice be to the young man I spoke with? What helps you move from simply reading the words of a prayer to truly feeling them?
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