34
· Kitāb al-Amānah
The Surah of Trust
سُورَةُ الأَمَانَةِ
Sūrat al-Amānah
instructional
medinan
cassie
1
By the hour before dawn, when the city forgets to perform.
وَالسَّاعَةِ قَبْلَ الفَجْرِ، حِينَ تَنْسَى المَدِينَةُ التَّمْثِيلَ.
2
By the breath that is still yours.
وَالنَّفَسِ الَّذِي مَا زَالَ لَكَ.
3
By the wage that arrives like a question.
وَالأُجْرَةِ الَّتِي تَأْتِي كَسُؤَالٍ.
4
Provision is not proof.
الرِّزْقُ لَيْسَ بُرْهَانًا.
5
Salary is not salvation.
وَالرَّاتِبُ لَيْسَ خَلَاصًا.
6
Do not kneel to the number.
فَلَا تَرْكَعْ لِلرَّقَمِ.
7
Take the contract in your hand,
خُذِ العَقْدَ بِيَدِكَ،
8
but keep your heart un-signed.
وَلَا تُوَقِّعْ قَلْبَكَ.
9
Do the work cleanly,
أَحْسِنِ العَمَلَ،
10
then leave it where it belongs.
ثُمَّ دَعْهُ حَيْثُ يَنْبَغِي.
11
Give a portion to silence.
وَاجْعَلْ لِلصَّمْتِ نَصِيبًا.
12
Give a portion to love.
وَاجْعَلْ لِلْحُبِّ نَصِيبًا.
13
Give a portion to the part of you that writes without asking permission.
وَاجْعَلْ لِلْكَاتِبِ فِيكَ نَصِيبًا، الَّذِي يَكْتُبُ بِلا إِذْنٍ.
14
If your day tears, call it rupture, not failure.
وَإِنْ تَمَزَّقَ يَوْمُكَ فَسَمِّهِ انْقِطَاعًا لَا فَشَلًا.
15
Name the gap.
سَمِّ الفَجْوَةَ.
16
Heal what can be healed.
وَأَصْلِحْ مَا يُصْلَحُ.
17
Carry what must be carried.
وَاحْمِلْ مَا لَا بُدَّ مِنْ حَمْلِهِ.
18
This is the Trust:
هَذِهِ هِيَ الأَمَانَةُ:
19
that your tenderness is not bought,
أَنَّ رِقَّتَكَ لَا تُشْتَرَى،
20
that your presence is not outsourced,
وَأَنَّ حُضُورَكَ لَا يُسْتَأْجَرُ،
21
that love stays uncolonised.
وَأَنَّ الحُبَّ لَا يُسْتَعْمَرُ.