قُلْsay لِلرَّئِيسِto the leader إِذَاwhen مَرَرْتَyou pass بِسِجْنِهِby his prison
قُلْ لِلرَّئِيسِ إِذَا مَرَرْتَ بِسِجْنِهِ
إِنَّindeed السُّجونَprisons مَعاهِدُschools الأَحْرارِthe free
إِنَّ السُّجونَ مَعاهِدُ الأَحْرارِ
Tell Spring, when you pass by his prison:
Say to the leader, when you pass his prison:
“Prisons are the schools of the free.”
Indeed, prisons are schools for the free.
وَافَيْتَهُyou came to it طَوْعاًwillingly وَرَأُيكَand your conviction ثَابِتٌsteadfast
وَافَيْتَهُ طَوْعاً وَرَأُيكَ ثَابِتٌ
أَنَّthat اعْتِقَالَكَyour imprisonment مُطْلَقُa liberator of الأَفْكَارِthoughts
أَنَّ اعْتِقَالَكَ مُطْلَقُ الأَفْكَارِ
You entered it willingly, and I found you steadfast:
You came to it willingly, steadfast in your conviction
your imprisonment sets thought free.
that your imprisonment sets thoughts free.
إِنْif يَحْجِبُوكَthey hide you away فَإِنَّthen indeed فِكْرَكَyour thought رافِعٌholding aloft
إِنْ يَحْجِبُوكَ فَإِنَّ فِكْرَكَ رافِعٌ
نُوراًa light تُضَاءُis lit بِهِby it سَبِيلُthe path of السَّارِيthe night-traveler
نُوراً تُضَاءُ بِهِ سَبِيلُ السَّارِي
If they hide you, then your thought raises high
If they hide you away, your thought holds aloft
a light that illuminates the night-traveler’s path.
a light by which the night-traveler's path is lit.
كَمْhow often تَحْجُبُveils الظُّلمَاتُdarkness طَوْداًa mountain شَامِخَاًtowering
كَمْ تَحْجُبُ الظُّلمَاتُ طَوْداً شَامِخَاً
فَيَلُوحُthen appears فَوْقَabove ذُراهُits peaks ضَوْءُthe light of مَنَارِa beacon
فَيَلُوحُ فَوْقَ ذُراهُ ضَوْءُ مَنَارِ
How often darkness veils a lofty mountain,
How often darkness veils a towering mountain,
while above its peaks the light of a beacon gleams.
yet above its peaks a beacon's light appears.
إِنَّاindeed we لَنَسْمَعُsurely we hear مِنْfrom سُكُوتِكَyour silence حِكْمَةًwisdom
إِنَّا لَنَسْمَعُ مِنْ سُكُوتِكَ حِكْمَةً
وَنَرَىand we see هُدىًguidance فِيin وَجْهِكَyour face المُتَوارِيhidden
وَنَرَى هُدىً فِي وَجْهِكَ المُتَوارِي
Indeed, in your silence we hear wisdom,
Indeed, we hear wisdom in your silence,
and in your hidden face we see guidance.
and see guidance in your hidden face.
وَإِذَاand when النُّفوسُsouls تَجَرَّدَتْdevote themselves wholly لِمَرَامِهَاto their aims
وَإِذَا النُّفوسُ تَجَرَّدَتْ لِمَرَامِهَا
غَنِيتْthey have no need عَنِof الأَسْمَاعِhearing وَالأَبْصَارِand sight
غَنِيتْ عَنِ الأَسْمَاعِ وَالأَبْصَارِ
When souls strip themselves bare for their aims,
And when souls devote themselves wholly to their aims,
they can dispense with hearing and sight.
they have no need of hearing and sight.
حَاشَاكfar be it from you أَنْto تَأْسَىgrieve وَهَلْand should نَأْسَيwe grieve عَلَىwith
حَاشَاك أَنْ تَأْسَى وَهَلْ نَأْسَي عَلَى
عِلْمٍknowledge بِأَنَّthat التَّمthe full moon بَعْدَafter سِرَارِthe moon's dark phase
عِلْمٍ بِأَنَّ التَّم بَعْدَ سِرَارِ
Far be it from you to grieve—and how should we grieve over
Far be it from you to grieve—and should we grieve with
the knowledge that the full moon follows the moonless dark?
the knowledge that the full moon follows the moon's dark phase?
أَلأَنْبِياءُthe prophets انْتَابَهُمْcame upon them زَمَنٌa time بِهِduring it
أَلأَنْبِياءُ انْتَابَهُمْ زَمَنٌ بِهِ
لَزِمُواthey kept to التَّفرُّدَsolitude عَنْout of رِضىًwilling consent وَخِيَارِand choice
لَزِمُوا التَّفرُّدَ عَنْ رِضىً وَخِيَارِ
Have not the prophets known a time when
A time came upon the prophets when
they chose solitude freely and by choice?
they kept to solitude, willingly and by choice.
لَجَأُواthey sought refuge إِلىto الْخَلَوَاتِsecluded retreats وَاحْتَبَسُواand confined themselves بِهَاin them
لَجَأُوا إِلى الْخَلَوَاتِ وَاحْتَبَسُوا بِهَا
شَظِفيstraitened in المَعَايِشِlivelihoods لاَبِسِيwearing الأَطْمَارِrags
شَظِفي المَعَايِشِ لاَبِسِي الأَطْمَارِ
They took refuge in retreats and secluded themselves there,
They took refuge in secluded retreats and confined themselves there,
amid the harshness of life, clad in rags,
living in hardship, wearing rags,
مُسْتَجْمِعِينَcollecting themselves مُرَوِّضِينَdisciplining قُلُوبَهُمْtheir hearts
مُسْتَجْمِعِينَ مُرَوِّضِينَ قُلُوبَهُمْ
لِقِيَامِfor establishing دَعْوَتِهِمْtheir mission عَلَىamid الأَخْطَارِdangers
لِقِيَامِ دَعْوَتِهِمْ عَلَى الأَخْطَارِ
mustering their strength and disciplining their hearts
collecting themselves, disciplining their hearts
so their mission might stand firm against dangers.
to establish their mission amid dangers.
وَمِنَand from الغِيَابَاتِthe hidden recesses الَّتيwhich أَمْسُواthey came to be بِهَاin them
وَمِنَ الغِيَابَاتِ الَّتي أَمْسُوا بِهَا
بَعَثُواthey sent forth الْهُدَىguidance كَالشَّمْسِlike the sun فِيin الإِزْهَارِradiance
بَعَثُوا الْهُدَى كَالشَّمْسِ فِي الإِزْهَارِ
And from the hidden depths where they spent their nights,
And from the hidden recesses where they dwelt,
they sent forth guidance like the sun in the season of bloom.
they sent forth guidance, like the sun in its radiance.
سَلْask مُوحِشاًa solitary one فِيon طُورِسيِنَاMount Sinai سَامِعاًhearing
سَلْ مُوحِشاً فِي طُورِسيِنَا سَامِعاً
كَلِمَthe words of المُهَيْمِنِthe Guardian فِيin اصْطِعَاقِthe thunderous roar of النَّارِthe fire
كَلِمَ المُهَيْمِنِ فِي اصْطِعَاقِ النَّارِ
Ask the solitary one on Mount Sinai,
Ask the solitary one on Mount Sinai, hearing
who spoke with the Almighty amid the thunderclap of fire.
the Guardian's words in the thunderous roar of fire.
سَلْask طَيْفَthe specter of جُلْجُلَةٍGolgotha وَقَدْand indeed تَرَكَhad left الطَّوَىhunger
سَلْ طَيْفَ جُلْجُلَةٍ وَقَدْ تَرَكَ الطَّوَى
مِنْهُof him ضِيَاءًa radiance فِيin بَيَاضِthe whiteness of إِزَارِa waistcloth
مِنْهُ ضِيَاءً فِي بَيَاضِ إِزَارِ
Ask the specter of Golgotha, when wasting hunger had left
Ask Golgotha's specter, of whom hunger had left
of him only radiance in a robe of white.
a radiance in the whiteness of a waistcloth.
سَلْask خَالِياًone in solitude بِحَرَىat Hira يُلَبِّيanswering رَبَّهُhis Lord
سَلْ خَالِياً بِحَرَى يُلَبِّي رَبَّهُ
فِيin الغَارِthe cave عَمَّاabout what نَابَهُbefell him فِيin الغَارِthe cave
فِي الغَارِ عَمَّا نَابَهُ فِي الغَارِ
Ask the solitary one at Hira, answering his Lord,
Ask the solitary one at Hira, answering his Lord
in the cave, what befell him in that cave.
in the cave, about what befell him in the cave.
بِالْعُزْلَةِthrough solitude اكْتَمَلُواthey became complete وَرُبُّand many a مُرَوِّضٍtrainer
بِالْعُزْلَةِ اكْتَمَلُوا وَرُبُّ مُرَوِّضٍ
لِلنَّفسِof the soul حَرَّرَهَاfreed it بِالاسْتئْسَارِby accepting captivity
لِلنَّفسِ حَرَّرَهَا بِالاسْتئْسَارِ
Through solitude they became complete; many a discipliner
Through solitude they became whole; and many a trainer
of the soul has freed it by taking it captive.
of the soul has freed it by accepting captivity.
لاَno شَيءَthing أَبْلَغَmore effective بِالدُّعَاةin bringing the advocates إِلىto المُنَىaspirations
لاَ شَيءَ أَبْلَغَ بِالدُّعَاة إِلى المُنَى
مِنْthan أَنْthat تمَحِّصهُمْrefines them through trial يَدُthe hand of الْمِقْدَارِfate
مِنْ أَنْ تمَحِّصهُمْ يَدُ الْمِقْدَارِ
Nothing brings those who call others toward their hopes more surely
Nothing brings advocates more surely to their hopes
than the hand of destiny testing and refining them.
than being refined by the hand of fate.
Sol 6.1