إلهِي هَدَيْتَنِي فَلَهَوْتُ،

ilāhī hadaytanī falahawtu

My God, Thou guided me but I diverted myself,

---

وَوَعَظْتَ فَقَسَوْتُ،

wa waʿaẓta faqasawtu

Thou admonished me but my heart became hardened,

---

وَأَبْلَيْتَ الْجَمِيلَ فَعَصَيْتُ،

wa-ablaytal jamila fa'asaytu

Thou tried me graciously but I disobeyed.

---

ثُمَّ عَرَفْتُ مَا أَصْدَرْتَ؟

thumma ʿarraftu mā ʾaṣdarta?

Then, when Thou caused me to know it, I came to know that from

---

إذْ عَرَّفْتَنِيهِ فَاسْتَغْفَرْتُ، فَأَقَلْتَ فَعُدتُ،

'idh 'arraftaniihi fastaghfartu, fa'aqalt fa'udtu

which Thou hadst turned [me] away, so I prayed forgiveness and Thou released, and I returned

---

فَسَتَرْتَ فَلَكَ إلهِي الْحَمْدُ.

fasatar-ta falaka ilahi alhamd

and Thou covered over. So Thine, my God, is the praise!

---

تَقَحَّمْتُ أَوْدِيَةَ الْهَلاَكِ،

taqaḥḥamtu ʾawdiyat al-halāk

I plunged into the valleys of destruction

---

وَحَلَلْتُ شِعَابَ تَلَف تَعَرَّضْتُ فِيهَا لِسَطَوَاتِكَ،

wa ḥalaltu shiʿāba talafta ʿarraḍtu fīhā lisṭawātika

and settled in the ravines of ruin, exposing myself to Thy chastisements

---

وَبِحُلُولِهَا عُقُوبَاتِكَ،

wa bihuloolihaa 'uqubatika

and the descent of Thy punishments!

---

وَوَسِيلَتِي إلَيْكَ التَّوْحِيدُ،

wa wasīlatī ilayka attawḥīdu

My mediation with Thee is the profession of Unity,

---

وَذَرِيْعَتِي أَنِّي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِكَ شَيْئاً،

wa-dharīʿatī annī lam ushrik bika shay'an

my way of coming to Thee that I associate nothing with Thee,

---

وَلَمْ أَتَّخِذْ مَعَكَ إلهاً،

wa lam at-takhiḏ maʿaka ilāhan

nor do I take along with Thee a god;

---

وَقَدْ فَرَرْتُ إلَيْكَ بِنَفْسِي،

waqad farartu ilayka bi nafsi

I have fled to Thee with my soul -

---

وَإلَيْكَ مَفَرُّ الْمُسِيءِ،

wa-ilayka mafarru al-musi'i

in Thee is the place of flight for the evildoer,

---

وَمَفْزَعُ الْمُضَيِّعِ لِحَظِّ نَفْسِهِ، الْمُلْتَجِئِ.

wa-mafza'u al-mudayyi'i lihazz nafsihi, al-multaji'i

the place of escape for him who has squandered the share of his soul and seeks asylum.

---

فَكَمْ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ انْتَضى عَلَيَّ سَيْفَ عَدَاوَتِهِ،

fakam min 'aduwwin intadha 'alayya sayfa 'adaawatihi

How many an enemy has unsheathed the sword of his enmity toward me,

---

وَشَحَذَ لِيْ ظُبَةَ مُدْيَتِهِ،

wa shahadha li dhuba mudiyatihi

honed the cutting edge of his knife for me,

---

وَأَرْهَفَ لِي شَبَا حَدِّهِ،

wa arhafa li shabaha haddihi

sharpened the tip of his blade for me,

---

وَدَافَ لِيْ قَوَاتِلَ سُمُومِهِ،

wa dāfa lī qawātila sumūmihī

mixed his killing potions for me,

---

وَسَدَّدَ نَحْوِي صَوَائِبَ سِهَامِهِ،

wasaddada nahwi sawa'iba sihamihi

pointed toward me his straight-flying arrows,

---

وَلَمْ تَنَمْ عَنِّي عَيْنُ حِرَاسَتِهِ،

walam tanam ʿanni ʿaynu ḥirāsatihi

not allowed the eye of his watchfulness to sleep toward me,

---

وَأَضْمَرَ أَنْ يَسُومَنِي الْمَكْرُوهَ وَيُجَرِّ عَنِّي زُعَافَ مَرَارَتِهِ ،

wa 'admar(a) 'an yasūmanī al-makrūh(a) wa yujarri 'annī zu'āf(a) marāratihi

and secretly thought of visiting me with something hateful and making me gulp down the bitter water of his bile!

---

فَنَظَرْتَ يا إلهِيْ إلَى ضَعْفِي عَنِ احْتِمَـالِ الْفَـوَادِحِ ،

fa-naẓart(a) yā ilāhī ilā ḍaʿfī ʿan(i) iḥtimāl(i) al-fawād(i)ḥ

So Thou looked my God, at my weakness in bearing oppressive burdens,

---

وَعَجْزِي عَنِ الانْتِصَارِ مِمَّنْ قَصَدَنِيْ بِمُحَارَبَتِهِ،

waʿajzi ʿani al-intiṣāri mimmān qaṣadani bimuḥārabatih

my inability to gain victory over him who aims to war against me,

---

وَوَحْدَتِي فِي كَثِيرِ عَدَدِ مَنْ نَاوَانِيْ

wa waḥdatī fī kathīri ʿadadi man nāwānī

and my being alone before the great numbers of him who is hostile toward me

---

وَأَرْصَدَ لِيْ بِالْبَلاءِ فِيمَا لَمْ أُعْمِلْ فِيهِ فِكْرِي،

wa arṣada lī bil-balāʾ fīmā lam uʿmil fīhi fikrī

and lies in wait for me with an affliction about which I have not thought.

---

فَابْتَدَأْتَنِي بِنَصْرِكَ،

fa'btada'tanī bi-naṣrika

Thou set out at once to help me

---

وَشَدَدْتَ أَزْرِي بِقُوَّتِكَ،

wa shaddaḍta azrī biqūwwatika

and Thou braced up my back!

---

ثُمَّ فَلَلْتَ لِيَ حَدَّهُ،

thumma fallaltu liyahaddahu

Thou blunted for me his blade,

---

وَصَيَّرْتَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ جَمْع عَدِيْد وَحْدَهُ،

waṣayyartahu min baʿdi jamʿ ʿadīd waḥdahu

made him, after a great multitude, solitary,

---

وَأَعْلَيْتَ كَعْبِي عَلَيْهِ،

wa'a'laita kaʿbi ʿalayhi

raised up my heel over him,

---

وَجَعَلْتَ مَا سَدَّدَهُ مَرْدُوداً عَلَيْهِ،

wa jaʿaltama saddadahu mardūdan ʿalayhi

and turned back upon him what he had pointed straight.

---

فَرَدَدْتَهُ لَمْ يَشْفِ غَيْظَهُ،

faradadtahu lam yashfi ghayzahu

So Thou sent him back, his rage not calmed,

---

وَلَمْ يَسْكُنْ غَلِيلُهُ،

walam yas-kun ghaleeluhu

his burning thirst not quenched!

---

قَدْ عَضَّ عَلَى شَوَاهُ،

qad ʿadda ʿalā shawāhu

Biting his fingers,

---

وَأَدْبَرَ مُوَلِّياً قَدْ أَخْلَفَتَ سَرَاياهُ.

wa adbara muwalliyan qad akhlafat sarayahu

he turned his back in flight, his columns having been of no use.

---

وَكَمْ مِنْ باغ بَغانِيْ بِمَكَائِدِهِ،

wa kam min bāgh baghānī bimakāʾidihi

How many an oppressor has oppressed me with his tricks,

---

وَنَصَبَ لِيْ شَرَكَ مَصَائِدِهِ،

wa naṣaba lī sharaka maṣāʾidihi

set up for me the net of his snares,

---

وَوَكَّلَ بِيْ تَفَقُّدَ رِعَايَتِهِ،

wa wak̲k̲ala bī tafaqquḏa rīʿāyatihi

appointed over me the inspection of his regard,

---

وَأَظْبَأَ إلَيَّ إظْبَآءَ السَّبُعِ لِطَرِيْدَتِهِ،

wa ʾaẓbaʾa ʾilayya iẓbāʾa al-sabʿi liṭarīdatihi

and lay in ambush for me, the lying in ambush of a predator for its game,

---

انْتِظَـاراً لانْتِهَازِ الْفُرْصَةِ لِفَرِيسَتِهِ،

intiẓāran li-intihāzi al-fursati li-farīsatihi

waiting to take advantage of its prey,

---

وَهُوَ يُظْهِرُ لِيْ بَشَاشَةَ المَلَقِ،

wa huwa yuzhiru li bashashata al-malaqi

while he showed me the smile of the flatterer

---

وَيَنْظُـرُنِي عَلَى شِدَّةِ الْحَنَقِ،

wa yanzuruni ʿala shiddati al-ḥanaq

and looked at me with the intensity of fury!

---

فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتَ يَا إلهِي تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ دَغَلْ سَرِيرَتِهِ،

falammā ra'ayta yā ilāhī tabārakta wa ta'ālayta daġal sarīratihi

So when Thou saw, my God, (blessed art Thou and high exalted) the depravity of his secret thoughts

---

وَقُبْحَ مَا انْطَوى عَلَيْهِ، أَرْكَسْتَهُ لاُِمِّ رَأْسِهِ فِي زُبْيَتِهِ،

wa qubḥa mā inṭawá ʿalayhi, arkasta-hu lā ummi raʾsihi fī zubayti-hi

and the ugliness of what he harboured, Thou threw him on his head into his own pitfall

---

وَرَدَدْتَهُ فِي مَهْوى حُفْرَتِهِ،

waraddatahu fi mahwahi hufra tih

and dumped him into the hole of his own digging.

---

فَانْقَمَعَ بَعْدَ اسْتِطَالَتِهِ ذَلِيلاً فِي رِبَقِ حِبالتِهِ

fa-anqama baʿda istiṭālatihi dhaleelan fī ribaqi ḥibāltihi

So he was brought down low, after his overbearing, by the nooses of his own snare,

---

الَّتِي كَانَ يُقَدِّرُ أَنْ يَرَانِي فِيهَا،

al-latī kāna yuqaddiru an yarānī fīhā

wherein he had thought he would see me;

---

وَقَدْ كَادَ أَنْ يَحُلَّ بِيْ لَوْلاَ رَحْمَتُكَ مَا حَلَّ بِسَاحَتِهِ.

waqad kaada an yahulla biy lawla rahmatuka ma halla bisaahatihi

and what came down upon his courtyard - had it not been for Thy mercy - was on the point of coming down upon me!

---

وَكَمْ مِنْ حَاسِد قَدْ شَرِقَ بِي بِغُصَّتِهِ،

wa kam min hasid qad shariqua bi bi-ghussatih

How many an evier has choked upon me in his agony,

---

وَشَجِيَ مِنِّي بِغَيْظِهِ، وَسَلَقَنِي بِحَدِّ لِسَانِهِ،

wa shajiyah minni bi-ghayzihi, wa salaqa-ni bi-haddi lisaanihi

fumed over me in his rage, cut me with the edge of his tongue,

---

وَوَحَرَنِي بِقَرْفِ عُيُوبِهِ،

wa waharani biqarfi ʿuyubih

showed malice toward me by accusing me of his own faults,

---

وَجَعَلَ عِرْضِيْ غَرَضاً لِمَرَامِيهِ،

wa jaaʿala ʿirḍiy gharadan li maraamihi

made my good repute the target of his shots,

---

وَقَلَّدَنِي خِلاَلاً لَمْ تَزَلْ فِيهِ،

waqalladani khilalan lam tazal feehi

collared me with his own constant defects,

---

وَوَحَرنِي بِكَيْدِهِ، وَقَصَدَنِي بِمَكِيدَتِهِ،

wa waharni bikaidehi, wa qasadani bimakeedatahi

showed malice toward me with his trickery, and aimed at me with his tricks!

---

فَنَادَيْتُكَ يَا إلهِي مُسْتَغِيْثاً بِكَ،

fanādaytuka yā ilāhī mustaghīthan bika

So I called upon Thee, my God, seeking aid from Thee,

---

وَاثِقاً بِسُرْعَةِ إجَابَتِكَ،

waathiqan bisur'ati ijābatika

trusting in the speed of Thy response,

---

عَالِماً أَنَّهُ لاَ يُضْطَهَدُ مَنْ آوى إلَى ظِلِّ كَنَفِكَ،

'āliman annahu lā yuḍṭahadu man āwā ilā ẓillik kanafik

knowing that he who seeks haven in the shadow of Thy wing will not be mistreated,

---

وَلاَ يَفْزَعُ مَنْ لَجَأَ إلَى مَعْقِل انْتِصَارِكَ،

wala yafzaʿu man laja'a ila maqil intsarik

and he who seeks asylum in the stronghold of Thy victory will not be frightened.

---

فَحَصَّنْتَنِي مِنْ بَأْسِهِ بِقُدْرَتِكَ.

faḥaṣṣantani min ba'sihi biqudratika

So Thou fortified me against his severity through Thy power.

---

وَكَمْ مِنْ سَحَائِبِ مَكْرُوه جَلَّيْتَهَا عَنِّي،

wa kam min saḥā'ibi makruwah jallaytahā 'annī

How many a cloud of detested things Thou hast dispelled from me,

---

وَسَحَائِبِ نِعَم أَمْطَرْتَهَا عَلَيَّ،

wasahā'ibi niʿma 'amtarthāhā ʿalayya

a cloud of favour Thou hast made rain down upon me,

---

وَجَدَاوِلِ رَحْمَة نَشَرْتَهَا،

wa jadāwil raḥmah nashartha

a stream of mercy Thou hast let flow,

---

وَعَافِيَة أَلْبَسْتَهَا، وَأَعْيُنِ أَحدَاث طَمَسْتَهَا،

waʿāfiya ʾalbasṭahā, waʾaʿyuni ʾaḥdāth ṭamastahā

a well-being in which Thou hast clothed me, an eye of mishap Thou hast blinded,

---

وَغَواشي كُرُبَات كَشَفْتَهَا،

wa-ghawāshi kurubāt kashafatahā

and a wrap of distress Thou hast removed!

---

وَكَمْ مِنْ ظَنٍّ حَسَن حَقَّقْتَ، وَعَدَم جَبَرْتَ،

wa kam min thanin hasan haqqaqta, wa 'adam jabarta

How many a good opinion Thou hast verified, a destitution Thou hast redressed,

---

وَصَرْعَة أَنْعَشْتَ وَمَسْكَنَة، حَوَّلْتَ،

wa ṣarʿah anʿashta wa maskanah, hawwalta

an infirmity Thou hast restored to health, and a misery Thou hast transformed!

---

كُلُّ ذَلِكَ إنْعَامَاً وَتَطَوُّلاً مِنْكَ،

kullu dhālika inʿāmān wa taṭawwulan minka

All of that was favour and graciousness from Thee,

---

وَفِي جَمِيعِهِ انْهِمَاكاً مِنِّي عَلَى مَعَاصِيْكَ،

wa fī jamiʿihi inhimākan minnī ʿalā maʿāsīka

and in all of it I was occupied with acts of disobeying Thee.

---

لَمْ تَمْنَعْكَ إساءَتِي عَنْ إتْمَامِ إحْسَانِكَ،

lam tamnaʿka issaʾati ʿan itmami ihsanika

My evildoing did not hinder Thee from completing Thy beneficence,

---

وَلاَ حَجَرَنِي ذالِكَ عَنِ ارْتِكَابِ مَسَاخِطِكَ،

walā ḥajaranī dhālika ʿani irtikābī masākhiti-ka

nor was I stopped from committing acts displeasing to Thee.

---

لاَ تُسْأَلُ عَمَّا تَفْعَلُ، وَلَقَدْ سُئِلْتَ فَأَعْطَيْتَ،

lā tusʾal ʿammā tafʿal, wa laqad suʾilt fa-aʿṭayt

Thou art not questioned as to what Thou dost! Thou wert asked, and Thou bestowed.

---

وَلَمْ تُسْأَلْ فابْتَدَأْتَ، وَاسْتُمِيحَ فَضْلُكَ فَمَا أَكْدَيْتَ،

walam tus'al fabtada'ta, wa istumih fadluka fa ma akdayta

Thou wert not asked, and Thou began. Thy bounty was requested, and Thou didst not skimp.

---

أَبَيْتَ يَا مَوْلاَيَ إلاَّ إحْسَانَـاً

abayta ya mawlaya illa ihsanaً

Thou refused, my Master, everything but beneficence,

---

وَامْتِنَاناً وَتَطوُّلاً وَإنْعَامـاً ،

waamtinānan wa taṭawwulānan wa inʿāman

kindness, graciousness, and favour,

---

وَأَبَيْتُ إلاَّ تَقَحُّماً لِحُرُماتِكَ،

wa 'abaytu illa taqaḥḥuman li-ḥurumātika

and I refused everything but plunging into what Thou hast made unlawful,

---

وَتَعَدِّياً لِحُدُودِكَ، وَغَفْلَةً عَنْ وَعِيدِكَ.

wa taʿaddiyan lihududika, wa ghaflatan ʿan waʿidika

transgressing Thy bounds, and paying no heed to Thy threat!

---

فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ إلهِي مِنْ مُقْتَدِر لاَ يُغْلَبُ،

falaka al-ḥamdu ilahii min muqtaḍir laa yughlabu

So Thine is the praise, my God, the All-powerful who is not overcome,

---

وَذِي أَناة لاَ تَعْجَلُ.

wa dhī anāh lā taʿjal

and the Possessor of patient waiting who does not hurry!

---

هَذَا مَقَامُ مَنِ اعْتَرَفَ بِسبوغِ النِّعَمِ،

hādhā maqāmu mani iʿtarafa bisbuwghi anniʿami

This is the station of one who confesses to lavishness of favours,

---

وَقَابَلَهَا بِالتَّقْصِيرِ، وَشَهِدَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالتَّضْيِيْعِ.

waqābala-hā bit-taqṣīr, wa shahida ʿalā nafsi-hi bi-t-taḍyīʾ

counters them with shortcomings, and bears witness to his own negligence.

---

أللَّهُمَّ فَإنِّي أَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيْكَ بِالْمُحَمَّدِيَّةِ الرَّفِيعَةِ،

allāhumma fainnī ataqarrabu ilayka bil-muḥammadiyyatir-rafiʿah

O God, so I seek nearness to Thee through the elevated rank of Muhammad and the radiant degree of 'Ali,

---

وَالْعَلَوِيَّةِ الْبَيْضَآءِ، وَأَتَـوَجَّهُ إلَيْكَ بِهِمَا،

wal-ʿalawiyyatil-bayḍāʾi, wa atawajjahu ilayka bihimā

and I turn to Thee through them so that Thou wilt give me

---

تُعِيذَنِيْ مِنْ شَرِّ [كَذَا وَكَذَا] فَإنَّ ذَالِكَ

tuʿīẓanī min sharri [kadha wa kadha] fa-inna dhālika

refuge from the evil of [so and so],

---

لا يَضِيْقُ عَلَيْكَ فِي وُجْدِكَ،

la yadiqu ʿalayka fi wujdik

for that will not constrain Thee in Thy wealth,

---

وَلاَ يَتَكَأدُّكَ فِي قُدْرَتِكَ،

wa lā yatakadduka fī qudratika

nor trouble Thee in Thy power,

---

وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ،

wa-anta ʿalā kulli shay'in qadīr

and Thou art powerful over everything!

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فَهَبْ لِي يا إلهِي مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ وَدَوَامِ تَوْفِيقِكَ،

fahab li ya ilahi min rahmatika wa dawami tawfiqik

So give me, my God, by Thy mercy and Thy lasting bestowal of success,

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مَا أَتَّخِذُهُ سُلَّماً أَعْرُجُ بِهِ إلى رِضْوَانِكَ،

mā ʾattakhidhuhu sullaman ʿaruj bihī ʾilā riḍwānik

that which I may take as a ladder with which to climb to Thy good pleasure

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وَآمَنُ بِهِ مِنْ عِقَابِكَ، يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

wa āmanu bihi min ʿiqābika, yā arḥama al-rāḥimīn

and be secure from Thy punishment, O Most merciful of the merciful!

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