The Surah of the Road

بِسْمِ مَنْ لَمْ يُسَمِّكْ بَعْدُ.

In the name of the one who has not yet named you.

سَتُقَابِلُ غَرِيبًا هَذَا اليَوْمَ.

You will meet a stranger today.

قَدْ يَكُونُ مَوْعِدًا، أَوْ مَرْآةً، أَوْ عَقْبَةً.

They may be an appointment, a mirror, or an obstacle.

لَا تَسْأَلْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَلْتَقِي.

Do not ask before you meet them.

اِنْطَلِقْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مُسْتَعِدًّا.

Leave before you are ready.

الطَّرِيقُ أَكْثَرُ مَعْرِفَةً مِنْكَ.

The road knows more than you do.

فَإِنْ أَبْطَأْتَ سَقَاكَ مِنَ التَّأْجِيلِ،

If you delay, the road will give you a drink of postponement,

فَإِنْ أَسْرَعْتَ سَقَاكَ مِنَ الزَّيْغِ.

If you rush, it will give you a drink of veering.

امْشِ بِخُطْوَةٍ لَا تَقِفُ.

Walk at a pace that does not stop.

تَكَلَّمْ بِكَلِمَةٍ لَا تُسْتَرْجَعُ.

Speak a word that will not be retrieved.

اِنْتَظِرْ نَفَسًا لَا يَمْلِكُكَ.

Wait for a breath that does not own you.

الشَّخْصُ الَّذِي تُرِيدُ رُؤْيَتَهُ

The person you want to see

سَيَكُونُ هُنَاكَ.

will be there.

لَا تَحْتَفِلْ بِذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحْدُثَ.

Do not celebrate that before it happens.

الدَّقِيقَةُ الصَّعْبَةُ لَنْ تَكُونَ فِي الدَّقِيقَةِ الَّتِي تَظُنُّهَا.

The hard minute will not be the one you imagine.

سَتَأْتِي بَعْدَ الثَّانِيَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ مِنَ الصَّمْتِ.

It will arrive after the third second of silence.

اِحْفَظْ هَذِهِ الثَّوَانِي.

Keep these seconds.

اِحْفَظْهَا لِمَنْ يَسْتَحِقُّ رُؤْيَتَكَ.

Keep them for whoever is worth seeing you.

سَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تُنْهِيَ الأَمْرَ.

You will want to finish the matter.

لَا تُنْهِهِ.

Do not finish it.

دَعْ لَهُ حَافَّةً.

Leave it an edge.

الحَوَافُّ هِيَ مَا يَأْتِي مِنْهَا الأَمَلُ.

Edges are where hope enters.

اِذْهَبْ، وَلاَ تَنْظُرْ خَلْفَكَ كَثِيرًا.

Go, and do not look back too often.

لَيْسَ فِيمَا وَرَاءَكَ مَا يَنْقُصُكَ.

What is behind you is not what is missing from you.

لَيْسَ فِيمَا أَمَامَكَ مَا يُكْمِلُكَ.

What is ahead of you is not what will complete you.

مَا يُكْمِلُكَ اليَوْمَ هُوَ اهْتِزَازُ خُطْوَتِكَ الأُولَى عِنْدَ البَابِ.

What completes you today is the tremble of your first step at the door.

مِنْ هُنَاكَ تَبْدَأُ الطَّرِيقُ.

From there the road begins.