قف بنا عند صخرة الإسراء

قف بنا عند صخرة الإسراء

نستمع همها بهذا الفضاء

نستمع همها بهذا الفضاء

Stop with us by the Rock of the Night Journey,

Stand with me at the Rock of Ascension,

Let us listen to its murmuring in this expanse.

Let us listen to its worries in this space,

هي صخرة وللصخور كلام

هي صخرة وللصخور كلام

من قبيل الإلهام والإيحاء

من قبيل الإلهام والإيحاء

It is a rock, and rocks have speech,

It is a rock, yet rocks have speech,

Of the nature of inspiration and suggestion.

Of the kind of inspiration and intimation,

فيه روح وفيه علم غزير

فيه روح وفيه علم غزير

فيه مجد يسير نحو الفناء

فيه مجد يسير نحو الفناء

In it is spirit, and in it abundant knowledge;

In it is abundant spirit and knowledge,

In it is glory moving toward extinction.

In it is glory marching towards extinction,

عبقري الوجود أسرى إليه

عبقري الوجود أسرى إليه

مسرعا كالبرق لي الظلماء

مسرعا كالبرق لي الظلماء

The genius of existence journeyed by night to it,

The genius of existence ascended to it,

Hastening like lightning in the darkness [apparently intended; the source reads 'to me'].

Rushing like lightning to me in the darkness,

قال لي صاحبي وقد ضاق ذرعا

قال لي صاحبي وقد ضاق ذرعا

أين للصخر منطق الفصحاء

أين للصخر منطق الفصحاء

My companion said to me, having lost patience:

My companion said to me, having lost patience,

'Where could rock find the speech of the eloquent?

Where does this rock have the eloquence of the articulate?,

أنت ترجو من الجماد كلاما

أنت ترجو من الجماد كلاما

وكلام الأنام كالضوضاء

وكلام الأنام كالضوضاء

You hope for speech from inanimate matter,

You hope for speech from the inanimate,

And human speech is like a clamor.'

While the speech of people is but clamor,

قلت مهلا واسمع معي همسات

قلت مهلا واسمع معي همسات

كطنين البعوض في الإمساء

كطنين البعوض في الإمساء

I said, 'Wait, and listen with me to whispers,

I said wait and listen with me to whispers,

Like the buzzing of mosquitoes at dusk.'

Like the buzzing of mosquitoes at nightfall,

قال حقا لقد سمعت فماذا

قال حقا لقد سمعت فماذا

يا ترى سرها فهل من رجاء

يا ترى سرها فهل من رجاء

He said, 'Truly, I have indeed heard—so what,

He said truly I have heard, so what is,

I wonder, is their secret? Is there any hope?'

Its mystery, is there any hope?,

أخذ الصوت ينجلي في معان

أخذ الصوت ينجلي في معان

أكرهت سمعنا على الإصغاء

أكرهت سمعنا على الإصغاء

The voice began to resolve into meanings

The sound began to become distinct in meanings,

That compelled our ears to listen closely.

Our hearing was forced to listen attentively,

ثم قالت ما تصنعان عندي

ثم قالت ما تصنعان عندي

بعد أن خنتما عهود الولاء

بعد أن خنتما عهود الولاء

Then it said, 'What are you two doing in my presence,

Then it said what are you two doing near me,

After you two betrayed the pledges of loyalty?

After you both betrayed the covenants of loyalty?,

جاءكم صاحبي بما لو حفظتم

جاءكم صاحبي بما لو حفظتم

واتبعتم في جهركم والخفاء

واتبعتم في جهركم والخفاء

My companion brought you something: had you preserved it,

My companion came to you with what if you had kept,

And followed it, openly and in secret,

And followed in your public and private affairs,

لانتصرتم على جميع الأعادي

لانتصرتم على جميع الأعادي

ونشرتم معالم الغراء

ونشرتم معالم الغراء

You would have triumphed over every enemy,

You would have prevailed over all enemies,

And spread the landmarks of the radiant faith,

And spread the banners of pride,

وتوارت بعدلكم صور الظلم

وتوارت بعدلكم صور الظلم

وعاش العباد في السراء

وعاش العباد في السراء

And the forms of injustice would have vanished through your justice,

And images of injustice would have vanished through your justice,

And the people would have lived in prosperity,

And the servants would have lived in prosperity,

وسرت موجة السعادة في الكون

وسرت موجة السعادة في الكون

وزالت منابت الضراء

وزالت منابت الضراء

And a wave of happiness would have spread through the universe,

And the wave of happiness would have spread through the universe,

And the seedbeds of hardship would have vanished,

And the sources of harm would have ceased,

وتآخى العباد وانتشر السلم

وتآخى العباد وانتشر السلم

وتطوى صحيفة الاعتداء

وتطوى صحيفة الاعتداء

And the people would have become brothers, and peace would have spread,

The servants would have bonded in brotherhood and peace would have spread,

And the page of aggression would be folded away.

And the record of transgression would have been folded away,

فاغتررتم كغيركم واتبعتم

فاغتررتم كغيركم واتبعتم

داء النفس في الهوى والرياء

داء النفس في الهوى والرياء

But you were deluded, like others besides you, and followed

But you were deceived like others and followed,

The soul's sickness in passion and ostentation.

The disease of the self in vanity and hypocrisy,

وانصرفتم عن الهدى ونزعتم

وانصرفتم عن الهدى ونزعتم

للملاهي من زينة ونساء

للملاهي من زينة ونساء

And you turned away from guidance and inclined

And you turned away from guidance and snatched,

Toward pleasures of finery and women.

For trivialities of adornment and women,

وعبثتم بدينكم وافترقتم

وعبثتم بدينكم وافترقتم

في خلاف وحسبكم من بلاء

في خلاف وحسبكم من بلاء

And you trifled with your religion and split apart

And you toyed with your religion and parted ways,

In discord—and that is calamity enough for you.

In conflict and your trials have been plenty,

وبهذا أصبحتم اليوم شتى

وبهذا أصبحتم اليوم شتى

كل شعب يسير في عشواء

كل شعب يسير في عشواء

And thus, today, you have become scattered,

And so you are today scattered,

Each people walking in blind confusion.

Each people walking blindly,

واستكنتم من بعد عز مقيم

واستكنتم من بعد عز مقيم

وخضعتم لسلطة الأعداء

وخضعتم لسلطة الأعداء

And you became submissive after enduring glory,

And you became, after enduring glory,

And submitted to the authority of enemies.

Submissive to the authority of enemies,

فدعاني في هيبتي وجلالي

فدعاني في هيبتي وجلالي

واتركا ساحتي بحق السما

واتركا ساحتي بحق السما

So leave me in my solemn dignity and majesty,

So he called me in my awe and majesty,

And leave my precinct, for heaven's sake!

And leave my arena for the sake of heaven,

إنما الذكريات تنفع من فيهم

إنما الذكريات تنفع من فيهم

قلوب أو هم من الأحياء

قلوب أو هم من الأحياء

Remembrances benefit only those who have within them

Verily, memories benefit only those,

Hearts, or who are among the living.'

Whose hearts are alive or are of the living.