Whatever is in the heart of man, melody moves and awakens.
If a heart full of good feelings and a pure voice are joined together, a great
effect is produced. For instance: if there be love in the heart, through
melody, it will increase until its intensity can scarcely be borne; but if bad
thoughts are in the heart, such as hatred, it will increase and multiply. For
instance: the music used in war awakens the desire for bloodshed. The meaning
is that melody causes whatever feeling is in the heart to increase.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of
‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Mary Lucas during her pilgrimage in 1905; ‘A Brief
Account of My Visit to Acca’, by Mary Lucas)
