Desert Echoes of Dawn

Lyrics

WHEN THE NIGHT UNVEILS [Verse I — The Desert] I was lost in the darkest of desert nights, Hungry and tired, with the sand in my hand; My tribe was gone, and gone were my fights, My knees gave way on the curve of the land. Wood-splinters buried themselves in my palm, The torch kept burning, though burning I’d stand; When every hope had fallen from calm, Something whispered softly: “Stand.” I froze in the darkness, my breath growing slight— Was someone there in the shifting sand? Again came the whisper, as clear as the night: “Stand.” I turned and searched, but there was no man. No face in the darkness, no figure in sight; Only the wind and the trembling land, And a voice that called through the endless night. ⸻ [Verse II — The Song] Then came a beautiful song, on a foreign tongue, A melody ancient, yet strangely nigh— “وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ” I knew not the words, yet my heart somehow knew, As though I had heard them beneath another sky— “وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ” My arms rose upward; my soul had begun, And something within me remembered why— “وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ” It sounded unknown upon my tongue, Yet deep in my heart, it had always been sung. ⸻ [Pre-Chorus — Recognition] Then suddenly— as though waking from sleep— I knew that voice. I knew that song. And the words came rushing over me: “!إِنَّ سَعْيَكَ لَشَتَّىٰ” Your striving is scattered— your roads are not one— but walk, though the journey be hard beneath the sun. And then came the words that I somehow had known: “،فَأَمَّا أنْتَ تُعْطِى وَتَتَّقَىٰ” And give what you can, and guard what you do— “،وَتَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ” Give freely to goodness, let goodness flow through— ”—فَسَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ” And I heard it again— the path would be made light: “،فَأَنذَرْتُكَ نَارًا، تَلَظَّىٰ” Yet another road burns, a fire blazing bright— “،وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَتْقَى ٱلَّذِى يُؤْتِى مَالَهُۥ، يَتَزَكَّىٰ” But one who gives, seeking to purify— “—إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ” Seeking only the face of the Lord Most High— “!وَلَسَوْفَ تَرْضَىٰ” And you shall be satisfied. ⸻ [Chorus — Remember] Remember— when the night surrounds you, when the desert has swallowed the sky, Remember— when your strength deserts you, and you cannot understand why. There is a voice in the darkness, a voice you have heard before: Stand. There is a song in the silence, calling you onward once more: Stand. ⸻ [Verse III — The Voice Returns] I had thought that my journey had come to an end, That my hands had no strength and my heart had no light; But the voice that I heard was not merely a friend— It had followed my footsteps throughout the night. I looked at the torch still alive in my hand, Though the flame had grown weak and the wood had grown thin; And I finally understood where I stood: Not abandoned. Not finished. Not forgotten. Again came the words from the depths of the sand, And this time I heard them as though they were mine: “وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ” The night may descend, but the night is not all. “وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ” The day will appear when the darkness must fall. “وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ” And everything made has its place in the design— “!إِنَّ سَعْيَكَ لَشَتَّىٰ” Your paths may divide, but your striving is thine. ⸻ [Bridge — The Choice] So I lifted my foot from the weight of the sand, Though every old wound told me not to proceed. I tightened my grip on the torch in my hand, And followed the voice where it told me to lead. No longer demanding that darkness depart, No longer requiring the whole road to see— I took one step. Then another. And the desert grew small behind me. ⸻ [Final Chorus — The Song] “،فَأَمَّا أنْتَ تُعْطِى وَتَتَّقَىٰ” Give what you have, and walk in restraint— “،وَتَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ” Give yourself to goodness, though weary with weight— ”—فَسَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ” The way will be opened, the burden made light— “،فَأَنذَرْتُكَ نَارًا، تَلَظَّىٰ” Remember the warning, the fire burning bright— “،وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَتْقَى ٱلَّذِى يُؤْتِى مَالَهُۥ، يَتَزَكَّىٰ” For he who gives freely, and gives to purify— “—إِلَّا ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ” Seeking only the face of the Lord Most High— And then, through the darkness, the final words came: “!وَلَسَوْفَ تَرْضَىٰ” ⸻ [Outro — The Desert Again] And lo— the echo faded away. My ears still rang, my eyes filled with tears. My heart beat fast— yet somehow it sang. And the spirit that had fallen returned to its feet. I stood. Still trembling. Still afraid. But standing. And somewhere beyond the darkness, beyond the desert, beyond the night— the song continued. “وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ” The night. “وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ” The dawn. “وَلَسَوْفَ تَرْضَىٰ” And you shall be satisfied.