His Supplication in Sorrow (21)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِذَا حَزَنَهُ أَمْرٌ وَ أَهَمَّتْهُ الْخَطَايَا
His Supplication when Something Made him Sorrow and Offenses Made him Worry
Translated by William Chittick

اللَّهُمَّ يَا كَافِيَ الْفَرْدِ الضَّعِيفِ ،

O God, O Sufficer of the isolated and weak

وَ وَاقِيَ الْأَمْرِ الْمَخُوفِ ،

and Protector against terrifying affairs!

أَفْرَدَتْنِي الْخَطَايَا فَلَا صَاحِبَ مَعِي ،

Offenses have isolated me, so there is none to be my companion.

وَ ضَعُفْتُ عَنْ غَضَبِكَ فَلَا مُؤَيِّدَ لِي ،

I am too weak for Thy wrath and there is none to strengthen me.

وَ أَشْرَفْتُ عَلَى خَوْفِ لِقَائِكَ

I have approached the terror of meeting Thee

فَلَا مُسَكِّنَ لِرَوْعَتِي

and there is none to still my fear.

وَ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُنِي مِنْكَ وَ أَنْتَ أَخَفْتَنِي ،

Who can make me secure from Thee when Thou hast filled me with terror?

وَ مَنْ يُسَاعِدُنِي

Who can come to my aid

وَ أَنْتَ أَفْرَدْتَنِي ،

when Thou hast isolated me?

وَ مَنْ يُقَوِّينِي وَ أَنْتَ أَضْعَفْتَنِي

Who can strengthen me when Thou hast weakened me?

لَا يُجِيرُ ، يَا إِلَهِي ، إِلَّا رَبٌّ عَلَى مَرْبُوبٍ ،

None can grant sanctuary to a vassal, my God, but a lord,

وَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ إِلَّا غَالِبٌ عَلَى مَغْلُوبٍ ،

none can give security to one dominated but a dominator,

وَ لَا يُعِينُ إِلَّا طَالِبٌ عَلَى مَطْلُوبٍ .

none can aid him from whom demands are made but a demander.

وَ بِيَدِكَ ، يَا إِلَهِي ، جَمِيعُ ذَلِكَ السَّبَبِ ،

In Thy hand, my God, is the thread of all that,

وَ إِلَيْكَ الْمَفَرُّ وَ الْمَهْرَبُ ،

in Thee the place of escape and flight,

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

so bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ أَجِرْ هَرَبِي ،

give sanctuary to me in my flight,

وَ أَنْجِحْ مَطْلَبِي .

and grant my request!

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ إِنْ صَرَفْتَ عَنِّي وَجْهَكَ الْكَرِيمَ

O God, if Thou shouldst turn Thy generous face away from me,

أَوْ مَنَعْتَنِي فَضْلَكَ الْجَسِيمَ

withhold from me Thy immense bounty,

أَوْ حَظَرْتَ عَلَيَّ رِزْقَكَ

forbid me Thy provision,

أَوْ قَطَعْتَ عَنِّي سَبَبَكَ

or cut off from me Thy thread,

لَمْ أَجِدِ السَّبِيلَ إِلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ أَمَلِي غَيْرَكَ ،

I will find no way to anything of my hope  other than Thee

وَ لَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى مَا عِنْدَكَ بِمَعُونَةِ سِوَاكَ ،

nor be given power over what is with Thee through another's aid,

فَإِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَ فِي قَبْضَتِكَ ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ .

for I am Thy servant and in Thy grasp; my forelock is in Thy hand.1

لَا أَمْرَ لِي مَعَ أَمْرِكَ ،

I have no command along with Thy command.

مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ ،

Accomplished is Thy judgement of me,

عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ ،

just Thy decree for me!'2

وَ لَا قُوَّةَ لِي عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ سُلْطَانِكَ ،

I have not the strength to emerge from Thy authority

وَ لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ مُجَاوَزَةَ قُدْرَتِكَ ،

nor am I able to step outside Thy power.

وَ لَا أَسْتَمِيلُ هَوَاكَ ،

I cannot win Thy inclination,

وَ لَا أَبْلُغُ رِضَاكَ ،

arrive at Thy good pleasure,

وَ لَا أَنَالُ مَا عِنْدَكَ إِلَّا بِطَاعَتِكَ وَ بِفَضْلِ رَحْمَتِكَ .

or attain what is with Thee except through obeying Thee and through the bounty of Thy mercy.

إِلَهِي أَصْبَحْتُ وَ أَمْسَيْتُ

O God, I rise in the morning and enter into evening

عَبْداً دَاخِراً لَكَ ،

as Thy lowly slave.

لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعاً وَ لَا ضَرّاً إِلَّا بِكَ ،

I own no profit and loss for myself except through Thee.

أَشْهَدُ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى نَفْسِي ،

I witness to that over myself

وَ أَعْتَرِفُ بِضَعْفِ قُوَّتِي وَ قِلَّةِ حِيلَتِي ،

and I confess to the frailty of my strength and the paucity of my stratagems.

فَأَنْجِزْ لِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي ،

So accomplish what Thou hast promised me

وَ تَمِّمْ لِي مَا آتَيْتَنِي ،

and complete for me what Thou hast given me,

فَإِنِّي عَبْدُكَ الْمِسْكِينُ الْمُسْتَكِينُ الضَّعِيفُ الضَّرِيرُ الْحَقِيرُ

for I am Thy slave, miserable, abased, frail, distressed, vile,

الْمَهِينُ الْفَقِيرُ الْخَائِفُ الْمُسْتَجِيرُ .

despised, poor, fearful, and seeking sanctuary!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household

وَ لَا تَجْعَلْنِي نَاسِياً لِذِكْرِكَ فِيمَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي ،

and let me not forget to remember Thee in what Thou hast done for me,

وَ لَا غَافِلًا لِإِحْسَانِكَ فِيمَا أَبْلَيْتَنِي ،

be heedless of Thy beneficence in Thy trying me,

وَ لَا آيِساً مِنْ إِجَابَتِكَ لِي وَ إِنْ أَبْطَأَتْ عَنِّي ،

or despair of Thy response to me, though it keep me waiting,

فِي سَرَّاءَ كُنْتُ أَوْ ضَرَّاءَ ،

whether I be in prosperity or adversity,

أَوْ شِدَّةٍ أَوْ رَخَاءٍ ،

hardship or ease,

أَوْ عَافِيَةٍ أَوْ بَلَاءٍ ،

well-being or affliction,

أَوْ بُؤْسٍ أَوْ نَعْمَاءَ ،

misery or comfort,

أَوْ جِدَةٍ أَوْ لَأْوَاءَ ،

wealth or distress,

أَوْ فَقْرٍ أَوْ غِنًى .

poverty or riches!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ اجْعَلْ ثَنَائِي عَلَيْكَ ، وَ مَدْحِي إِيَّاكَ ،

make me laud Thee, extol Thee,

وَ حَمْدِي لَكَ فِي كُلِّ حَالَاتِي

and praise Thee in all my states

حَتَّى لَا أَفْرَحَ بِمَا آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ،

so that I rejoice not over what Thou givest me of this world

وَ لَا أَحْزَنَ عَلَى مَا مَنَعْتَنِي فِيهَا ،

nor sorrow over that of it which Thou withholdest from me!

وَ أَشْعِرْ قَلْبِي تَقْوَاكَ ،

Impart reverential fear of Thee to my heart,

وَ اسْتَعْمِلْ بَدَنِي فِيمَا تَقْبَلُهُ مِنِّي ،

employ my body in that which Thou acceptest from me,

وَ اشْغَلْ بِطَاعَتِكَ نَفْسِي عَنْ كُلِّ مَا يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ

and divert my soul through obedience to Thee from all that enters upon me,

حَتَّى لَا أُحِبَّ شَيْئاً مِنْ سُخْطِكَ ، وَ لَا أَسْخَطَ شَيْئاً مِنْ رِضَاكَ.

so that I love nothing that displeases Thee  and become displeased at nothing that pleases Thee!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ فَرِّغْ قَلْبِي لِمَحَبَّتِكَ ،

empty my heart for Thy love,

وَ اشْغَلْهُ بِذِكْرِكَ ،

occupy it with remembering Thee,

وَ انْعَشْهُ بِخَوْفِكَ وَ بِالْوَجَلِ مِنْكَ ،

animate it with fear of Thee and quaking before Thee,

وَ قَوِّهِ بِالرَّغْبَةِ إِلَيْكَ ،

strengthen it with beseeching Thee,

وَ أَمِلْهُ إِلَى طَاعَتِكَ ،

incline it to Thy obedience,

وَ أَجْرِ بِهِ فِي أَحَبِّ السُّبُلِ إِلَيْكَ ،

set it running in the path most beloved to Thee,

وَ ذَلِّلْهُ بِالرَّغْبَةِ فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ أَيَّامَ حَيَاتِي كُلِّهَا .

and subdue it through desire for what is with Thee all the days of my life!

وَ اجْعَلْ تَقْوَاكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا زَادِي ،

Let my provision in this world be reverential fear of Thee,

وَ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ رِحْلَتِي ،

my journey be toward Thy mercy,

وَ فِي مَرْضَاتِكَ مَدْخَلِي ،

and my entrance be into Thy good pleasure!

وَ اجْعَلْ فِي جَنَّتِكَ مَثْوَايَ ،

Appoint for me a lodging in Thy Garden,

وَ هَبْ لِي قُوَّةً أَحْتَمِلُ بِهَا جَمِيعَ مَرْضَاتِكَ ،

give me strength to bear everything that pleases Thee,

وَ اجْعَلْ فِرَارِي إِلَيْكَ ،

make me flee to Thee

وَ رَغْبَتِي فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ ،

and desire what is with Thee,

وَ أَلْبِسْ قَلْبِيَ الْوَحْشَةَ مِنْ شِرَارِ خَلْقِكَ ،

clothe my heart in estrangement from the evil among Thy creatures,

وَ هَبْ لِيَ الْأُنْسَ بِكَ

and give me intimacy with Thee,

وَ بِأَوْلِيَائِكَ وَ أَهْلِ طَاعَتِكَ .

Thy friends, and those who obey Thee!

وَ لَا تَجْعَلْ لِفَاجِرٍ وَ لَا كَافِرٍ عَلَيَّ مِنَّةً ،

Assign to no wicked person or unbeliever a kindness toward me

وَ لَا لَهُ عِنْدِي يَداً ،

or a hand that obliges me,

وَ لَا بِي إِلَيْهِمْ حَاجَةً ،

nor to me a need for one of them!

بَلِ اجْعَلْ سُكُونَ قَلْبِي وَ أُنْسَ نَفْسِي

Rather make the stillness of my heart, the comfort of my soul,

وَ اسْتِغْنَائِي وَ كِفَايَتِي

my independence and my sufficiency

بِكَ وَ بِخِيَارِ خَلْقِكَ .

lie in Thee and the best of Thy creatures!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ ،

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَ اجْعَلْنِي لَهُمْ قَرِيناً ،

make me their comrade,

وَ اجْعَلْنِي لَهُمْ نَصِيراً ،

make me their helper,

وَ امْنُنْ عَلَيَّ بِشَوْقٍ إِلَيْكَ ،

and oblige me with yearning for Thee

وَ بِالْعَمَلِ لَكَ بِمَا تُحِبُّ وَ تَرْضَى ،

and doing for Thee what Thou lovest and approvest!

إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ ،

Thou art powerful over everything

وَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ .

and that is easy for Thee.