Supplication in Pleading and Abasement (51)

وَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي التَّضَرُّعِ وَ الِاسْتِكَانَةِ
His Supplication in Pleading and Abasement
Translated by William Chittick

إِلَهِي أَحْمَدُكَ وَ أَنْتَ لِلْحَمْدِ أَهْلٌ

My God, I praise Thee, - and Thou art worthy of praise -

عَلَى حُسْنِ صَنِيعِكَ إِلَيَّ ،

for Thy benefaction toward me,

وَ سُبُوغِ نَعْمَائِكَ عَلَيَّ ،

the lavishness of Thy favours toward me,

وَ جَزِيلِ عَطَائِكَ عِنْدِي ،

and Thy plentiful bestowal upon me,

وَ عَلَى مَا فَضَّلْتَنِي بِهِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ ،

and for showing bounty toward me through Thy mercy

وَ أَسْبَغْتَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ نِعْمَتِكَ ،

and lavishing Thy favour upon me.

فَقَدِ اصْطَنَعْتَ عِنْدِي مَا يَعْجِزُ عَنْهُ شُكْرِي .

Thou hast done well toward me and I am incapable of thanking Thee.

وَ لَوْ لَا إِحْسَانُكَ إِلَيَّ وَ سُبُوغُ نَعْمَائِكَ عَلَيَّ

Were it not for Thy beneficence toward me and the lavishness of Thy favours upon me,

مَا بَلَغْتُ إِحْرَازَ حَظِّي ، وَ لَا إِصْلَاحَ نَفْسِي ،

I would not have reached the taking of my share nor would my soul have been set right,

وَ لَكِنَّكَ ابْتَدَأْتَنِي بِالْإِحْسَانِ ،

but Thou began with beneficence toward me,

وَ رَزَقْتَنِي فِي أُمُورِي كُلِّهَا الْكِفَايَةَ ،

provided me sufficiency in all my affairs,

وَ صَرَفْتَ عَنِّي جَهْدَ الْبَلَاءِ ،

turned away from me the toil of affliction,

وَ مَنَعْتَ مِنِّي مَحْذُورَ الْقَضَاءِ .

and held back from me the feared decree.

إِلَهِي فَكَمْ مِنْ بَلَاءٍ جَاهِدٍ

My God, how many a toilsome affliction

قَدْ صَرَفْتَ عَنِّي ،

which Thou hast turned away from me!

وَ كَمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ سَابِغَةٍ أَقْرَرْتَ بِهَا عَيْنِي ،

How many a lavish favour with which Thou hast gladdened my eye!

وَ كَمْ مِنْ صَنِيعَةٍ كَرِيمَةٍ لَكَ عِنْدِي

How many a generous benefaction of Thine which is present with me!

أَنْتَ الَّذِي أَجَبْتَ عِنْدَ الِاضْطِرَارِ دَعْوَتِي ،

It is Thou who responded to my supplication at the time of distress,

وَ أَقَلْتَ عِنْدَ الْعِثَارِ زَلَّتِي ،

released me from my slip in stumbling,

وَ أَخَذْتَ لِي مِنَ الْأَعْدَاءِ بِظُلَامَتِي .

and took my enemies to task for doing wrong to me.

إِلَهِي مَا وَجَدْتُكَ بَخِيلًا حِينَ سَأَلْتُكَ ،

My God, I did not find Thee a miser when I asked of Thee

وَ لَا مُنْقَبِضاً حِينَ أَرَدْتُكَ ،

nor a withholder when I desired from Thee.

بَلْ وَجَدْتُكَ لِدُعَائِي سَامِعاً ،

No, 1 found Thee a hearer of my supplication

وَ لِمَطَالِبِي مُعْطِياً ،

and a bestower of my requests;

وَ وَجَدْتُ نُعْمَاكَ عَلَيَّ سَابِغَةً فِي كُلِّ شَأْنٍ مِنْ شَأْنِي

I found Thy favours toward me lavish in my every situation

وَ كُلِّ زَمَانٍ مِنْ زَمَانِي ،

and in my every time.

فَأَنْتَ عِنْدِي مَحْمُودٌ ، وَ صَنِيعُكَ لَدَيَّ مَبْرُورٌ .

So Thou art praised by me and Thy benefaction honoured.

تَحْمَدُكَ نَفْسِي وَ لِسَانِي وَ عَقْلِي ،

My soul, my tongue, and my intelligence praise Thee,

حَمْداً يَبْلُغُ الْوَفَاءَ وَ حَقِيقَةَ الشُّكْرِ ،

a praise that reaches fulfilment and the reality of thanksgiving,

حَمْداً يَكُونُ مَبْلَغَ رِضَاكَ عَنِّي ،

a praise that attains to Thy good pleasure with me -

فَنَجِّنِي مِنْ سُخْطِكَ .

so deliver me from Thy displeasure!

يَا كَهْفِي حِينَ تُعْيِينِي الْمَذَاهِبُ

O my cave when the ways thwart me!

وَ يَا مُقِيلِي عَثْرَتِي ،

O He who releases me from my stumble!

فَلَوْ لَا سَتْرُكَ عَوْرَتِي لَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمَفْضُوحِينَ ،

Were it not for Thy covering my shameful defects, I would be one of the disgraced.

وَ يَا مُؤَيِّدِي بِالنَّصْرِ ،

O my confirmer through help!

فَلَوْ لَا نَصْرُكَ إِيَّايَ لَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمَغْلُوبِينَ ،

Were it not for Thy helping me, I would be one of the overcome!

وَ يَا مَنْ وَضَعَتْ لَهُ الْمُلُوكُ نِيرَ الْمَذَلَّةِ عَلَى أَعْنَاقِهَا ،

O He before whom kings place the yoke of lowliness around their necks,

فَهُمْ مِنْ سَطَوَاتِهِ خَائِفُونَ ،

fearing His penalties!

وَ يَا أَهْلَ التَّقْوَى ،

O worthy of reverent fear!

وَ يَا مَنْ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى ،

O He to whom belong the names most beautiful!1

أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَعْفُوَ عَنِّي ، وَ تَغْفِرَ لِي

I ask Thee to pardon me and to forgive me,

فَلَسْتُ بَرِيئاً فَأَعْتَذِرَ ،

for I am not innocent that I should offer excuses,

وَ لَا بِذِي قُوَّةٍ فَأَنْتَصِرَ ،

nor a possessor of strength that I should gain victory,

وَ لَا مَفَرَّ لِي فَأَفِرَّ .

nor have I any place of flight that I should flee!

وَ أَسْتَقِيلُكَ عَثَرَاتِي ،

I ask Thee to release me from my stumbles,

وَ أَتَنَصَّلُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِيَ الَّتِي قَدْ أَوْبَقَتْنِي ،

and before Thee I disavow my sins, which have laid me waste,

وَ أَحَاطَتْ بِي فَأَهْلَكَتْنِي ،

encompassed me, and destroyed me!

مِنْهَا فَرَرْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ تَائِباً فَتُبْ عَلَيَّ ،

I flee from them to Thee, my Lord, turning repentantly, so turn toward me,

مُتَعَوِّذاً فَأَعِذْنِي ،

seeking refuge, so grant me refuge,

مُسْتَجِيراً فَلَا تَخْذُلْنِي ،

asking sanctuary, so abandon me not,

سَائِلًا فَلَا تَحْرِمْنِي

requesting, so deprive me not,

مُعْتَصِماً فَلَا تُسْلِمْنِي ،

holding fast, so leave me not,

دَاعِياً فَلَا تَرُدَّنِي خَائِباً .

supplicating, so send me not back disappointed!

دَعَوْتُكَ يَا رَبِّ مِسْكِيناً ، مُسْتَكِيناً ،

I have supplicated Thee, my Lord, as one miserable, abased,

مُشْفِقاً ، خَائِفاً ،

apprehensive, fearful,

وَجِلًا ، فَقِيراً ، مُضْطَرّاً إِلَيْكَ .

quaking, poor, driven to have recourse to Thee!

أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ يَا إِلَهِي

I complain to Thee, my God,

ضَعْفَ نَفْسِي عَنِ الْمُسَارَعَةِ فِيمَا وَعَدْتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَكَ ،

of my soul - which is too weak to hurry to that which Thou hast promised Thy friends

وَ الْمُجَانَبَةِ عَمَّا حَذَّرْتَهُ أَعْدَاءَكَ ،

or to avoid that against which Thou hast cautioned Thy enemies -

وَ كَثْرَةَ هُمُومِي ،

and of the multitude of my concerns,

وَ وَسْوَسَةَ نَفْسِي .

and of my soul's confusing thoughts.

إِلَهِي لَمْ تَفْضَحْنِي بِسَرِيرَتِي ،

My God, Thou hast not disgraced me through my secret thoughts

وَ لَمْ تُهْلِكْنِي بِجَرِيرَتِي ،

or destroyed me because of my misdeeds!

أَدْعُوكَ فَتُجِيبُنِي وَ إِنْ كُنْتُ بَطِيئاً حِينَ تَدْعُونِي ،

I call upon Thee, and Thou respondest, even if I am slow when Thou callest upon me.

وَ أَسْأَلُكَ كُلَّمَا شِئْتُ مِنْ حَوَائِجِي ،

I ask Thee everything I want of my needs,

وَ حَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُ وَضَعْتُ عِنْدَكَ سِرِّي ،

and I deposit with Thee my secret

فَلَا أَدْعُو سِوَاكَ ،

wherever I may be. I supplicate no one besides Thee,

وَ لَا أَرْجُو غَيْرَكَ

and I hope for no one other than Thee.

لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ ،

At Thy service! At Thy service!

تَسْمَعُ مَنْ شَكَا إِلَيْكَ ،

Thou hearest him who complains to Thee!

وَ تَلْقَى مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْكَ ،

Thou receivest him who has confidence in Thee!

وَ تُخَلِّصُ مَنِ اعْتَصَمَ بِكَ ، وَ تُفَرِّجُ عَمَّنْ لَاذَ بِكَ .

Thou savest him who holds fast to Thee! Thou givest relief to him who seeks shelter in Thee!

إِلَهِي فَلَا تَحْرِمْنِي خَيْرَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ الْأُولَى

My God, so deprive me not of the good of the last world and the first

لِقِلَّةِ شُكْرِي ،

because of the paucity of my thanksgiving

وَ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا تَعْلَمُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِي .

and forgive me the sins of mine which Thou knowest!

إِنْ تُعَذِّبْ

If Thou chastisest,

فَأَنَا الظَّالِمُ الْمُفَرِّطُ

I am the wrongdoer, the neglecter,

الْمُضَيِّعُ الْآثِمُ الْمُقَصِّرُ الْمُضَجِّعُ

the negligent, the sinner, the derelict, the sluggard,

الْمُغْفِلُ حَظَّ نَفْسِي ،

the heedless of the share of my soul!

وَ إِنْ تَغْفِرْ

And if Thou forgivest -

فَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ .

Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful!