Is there an idiomatic Japanese equivalent of the construction "Let [infinitive verb]"?


In English, we have constructions like "Let freedom ring from the mighty
mountains of New York" (MLK's _I Have A Dream_ speech) and "Let there be
light" (Genesis 1:3, KJV and other versions).

Is there an idiomatic Japanese equivalent of this construction? I can imagine
circumlocuting around it with something like ニューヨークの偉大なる山から自由が響くようにあろう, but
I'm not sure if that's idiomatic (or even correct) Japanese.

The [Japanese Living Bible](http://www.biblica.com/bibles/japanese/) seems to
translate "Let there be light" as 「光よ、輝け」, but that seems to me to mean
"Shine, light", which is not really the same thing.




I don't think they're idiomatic at all, but you've touched on both of them.
"Let" in these cases translates to either a command, or to what basically
amounts to "may". With the former, you would use the `命令形` as you noted. In my
Japanese Bible (`新共同訳`), that verse in Genesis simply says `光あれ！`. With the
latter, you're essentially describing a "wish" or some desire that is more-or-
less out of your control. In this case, you use `～ように` ("may it be (such)
that..."). Refer to the following topic for more info on this usage.

* * *

xref: [How does this ように work?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/4155/78)




I don't think they're idiomatic at all, but you've touched on both of them.
"Let" in these cases translates to either a command, or to what basically
amounts to "may". With the former, you would use the `命令形` as you noted. In my
Japanese Bible (`新共同訳`), that verse in Genesis simply says `光あれ！`. With the
latter, you're essentially describing a "wish" or some desire that is more-or-
less out of your control. In this case, you use `～ように` ("may it be (such)
that..."). Refer to the following topic for more info on this usage.

* * *

xref: [How does this ように work?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/4155/78)

