There Is No Jail For The Soul


There is no jail for the soul,
Which everywhere is free.
One might as well secure the sky
Or chain the open sea.

The body may in bondage sit
Or on a golden throne.
It matters little to the soul,
Whose fate is all its own.

The soul is sovereign in the self,
And ever free to choose.
Without, one may be forced to crawl;
Within, one can refuse.

Without, one can be flayed alive,
But none can touch the soul,
Which, willing only what is good,
Emerges sane and whole.


By J.S. Bach.