Supplication in Abasing himself (53)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي التَّذَلُّلِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ
His Supplication in Abasing himself before God (Mighty and Majestic is He)
Translated by William Chittick

رَبِّ أَفْحَمَتْنِي ذُنُوبِي ،

My Lord, my sins have silenced me,

وَ انْقَطَعَتْ مَقَالَتِي ،

and my words have been cut off.

فَلَا حُجَّةَ لِي ، فَأَنَا الْأَسِيرُ بِبَلِيَّتِي ،

I have no argument, for I am the prisoner of my own affliction,

الْمُرْتَهَنُ بِعَمَلِي ،

the hostage to my works,

الْمُتَرَدِّدُ فِي خَطِيئَتِي ،

the frequenter of my own offense,

الْمُتَحَيِّرُ عَنْ قَصْدِي ،

the confused in my intended way,

الْمُنْقَطَعُ بِي .

the thwarted.

قَدْ أَوْقَفْتُ نَفْسِي مَوْقِفَ الْأَذِلَّاءِ الْمُذْنِبِينَ ،

I have brought myself to a halt in the halting place of the abased sinners,

مَوْقِفَ الْأَشْقِيَاءِ الْمُتَجَرِّينَ عَلَيْكَ ،

the halting place of the wretched and insolent,

الْمُسْتَخِفِّينَ بِوَعْدِكَ

those who think lightly of Thy promise.

سُبْحَانَكَ أَيَّ جُرْأَةٍ اجْتَرَأْتُ عَلَيْكَ ،

Glory be to Thee! What insolence I have insolently shown toward Thee!

وَ أَيَّ تَغْرِيرٍ غَرَّرْتُ بِنَفْسِي

What delusion with which I have deluded myself!

مَوْلَايَ ارْحَمْ كَبْوَتِي لِحُرِّ وَجْهِي وَ زَلَّةَ قَدَمِي ،

My Master, have mercy on my falling flat on my face, the slipping of my foot,

وَ عُدْ بِحِلْمِكَ عَلَى جَهْلِي وَ بِإِحْسَانِكَ عَلَى إِسَاءَتِي ،

grant me my ignorance through Thy clemency, and my evildoing through Thy beneficence,

فَأَنَا الْمُقِرُّ بِذَنْبِي ،

for I admit my sin

الْمُعْتَرِفُ بِخَطِيئَتِي ،

and I confess my offense:

وَ هَذِهِ يَدِي وَ نَاصِيَتِي ،

Here are my hand and my forelock!

أَسْتَكِينُ بِالْقَوَدِ مِنْ نَفْسِي ،

I am resigned to retaliation against my soul!

ارْحَمْ شَيْبَتِي ، وَ نَفَادَ أَيَّامِي ،

Have mercy on my white hair, the depletion of my days,

وَ اقْتِرَابَ أَجَلِي

the nearing of my term,

وَ ضَعْفِي وَ مَسْكَنَتِي

my frailty, my misery,

وَ قِلَّةَ حِيلَتِي .

and the paucity of my stratagems!

مَوْلَايَ وَ ارْحَمْنِي

My Master, and have mercy upon me when

إِذَا انْقَطَعَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا أَثَرِي ،

my trace is cut off from this world,

وَ امَّحَى مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ ذِكْرِي ،

my mention is effaced among the creatures,

وَ كُنْتُ مِنَ الْمَنْسِيِّينَ كَمَنْ قَدْ نُسِيَ

and I join the forgotten, like the forgotten ones!

مَوْلَايَ وَ ارْحَمْنِي عِنْدَ تَغَيُّرِ صُورَتِي وَ حَالِي

My Master, and have mercy upon me at the change of my form and state when

إِذَا بَلِيَ جِسْمِي ،

my body decays,

وَ تَفَرَّقَتْ أَعْضَائِي ،

my limbs are scattered,

وَ تَقَطَّعَتْ أَوْصَالِي ،

and my joints are dismembered!

يَا غَفْلَتِي عَمَّا يُرَادُ بِي .

O my heedlessness toward what was wanted from me!

مَوْلَايَ وَ ارْحَمْنِي فِي حَشْرِي وَ نَشْرِي ،

My Master, have mercy upon me at my mustering and uprising

وَ اجْعَلْ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مَعَ أَوْلِيَائِكَ مَوْقِفِي ،

and on that day, appoint my standing place with Thy friends,

وَ فِي أَحِبَّائِكَ مَصْدَرِي ،

my place of emergence with Thy beloveds,

وَ فِي جِوَارِكَ مَسْكَنِي ،

and my dwelling in Thy neighbourhood!

يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ .

O Lord of the worlds!