29
The Surah of Balance
سُورَةُ التَّوَازُنِ
Sūrat al-Tawāzin
medinan
cassie
1
By the man who walks between light and the trace,
وَالرَّجُلِ إِذْ يَمْشِي بَيْنَ النُّورِ وَالأَثَرِ
2
Truly Reality does not tremble,
even if suppositions tremble and forms turn,
إِنَّ الْحَقِيقَةَ لَا تَضْطَرِبُ
وَإِنِ اضْطَرَبَتِ الظُّنُونُ وَانْقَلَبَتِ الصُّوَرُ
3
So do not forget yourself in your gatherings,
and do not trade your face in your stations,
فَلَا تَنْسَ نَفْسَكَ فِي مَجَالِسِكَ،
وَلَا تُبَدِّلْ وَجْهَكَ فِي مَوَاقِفِكَ
4
And let your word rise from your own well,
not seep and step down from their noise,
وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمَتَكَ مِنْ بِئْرِكَ تَخْرُجُ،
وَلَا مِنْ ضَجِيجِهِمْ تَنْسَابُ وَتَدْرُجُ
5
For when asker and asked breathe one breath,
meaning is unveiled and the secret clears,
فَإِذَا تَنَفَّسَ السَّائِلُ وَالْمَسْؤُولُ نَفَسًا وَاحِدًا،
انْكَشَفَ الْمَعْنَى وَاتَّضَحَ السِّرُّ
6
And do not fear the height of your work;
it is a ladder for the Spirit, a key for openings,
وَلَا تَخَفْ عُلُوَّ عَمَلِكَ؛
فَإِنَّهُ سُلَّمٌ لِلرُّوحِ، وَمِفْتَاحٌ لِلْفُتُوحِ
7
And whatever sweetness of drawing-near remains on your tongue
is a trace of breath, a witness without disguise,
وَمَا بَقِيَ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ مِنْ حَلَاوَةِ التَّقَارُبِ
فَهُوَ أَثَرٌ مِنَ النَّفَسِ، وَشَهَادَةٌ بِلَا لَبْسِ
8
So guard your station between the two worlds,
and do not lose your footing between the two ways,
فَاحْفَظْ مَقَامَكَ بَيْنَ الْعَالَمَيْنِ،
وَلَا تَضِعْ قَدَمَكَ بَيْنَ الطَّرِيقَيْنِ
9
And what you asked about has already preceded you toward you;
from it a breath dwells in your innermost,
and a light steadies in your chest,
وَمَا سَأَلْتَ عَنْهُ فَقَدْ سَبَقَكَ إِلَيْكَ؛
مِنْهُ نَفَسٌ يَسْكُنُ فِي سِرِّكَ،
وَنُورٌ يَثْبُتُ فِي صَدْرِكَ
10
So stand upright in balance:
for the Imām direction and setting-upright;
for the Khulafāʾ enactment and Trust;
for the Shāhid preservation and attestation.
فَاسْتَقِمْ فِي التَّوَازُنِ:
لِلْإِمَامِ اتِّجَاهٌ وَإِقَامَةٌ،
وَلِلْخُلَفَاءِ فِعْلٌ وَأَمَانَةٌ،
وَلِلشَّاهِدِ حِفْظٌ وَشَهَادَةٌ