Sahifa Sajjadiya 53: Humbling Himself before Allah

Text and Translation

رَبِّ اَفْحَمَتْنِي ذُنُوبِي، وَانْقَطَعَتْ مَقَالَتِي، فَلَا حُجَّةَ لِي، فَاَنَا الْاَسِيرُ بِبَلِيَّتِي، الْمُرْتَهَنُ بِعَمَلِي، الْمُتَرَدِّدُ فِي خَطِيئَتِي، الْمُتَحَيِّرُ عَنْ قَصْدِي، الْمُنْقَطَعُ بِي

RABBI AFHAMATNEE DHUNOOBEE WANQATA'AT MAQAALATEE FALAA HUJJATA LEE FA-ANAL ASEERU BIBALIYYATIL MURTAHANU BI-A'MALIL MUTARADDIDU FEE KHATEE'ATIL MUTAHAYYIRU A'N QASDIL MUNQATA'U BEE

My Lord, my sins have silenced me, and my words have been cut off. I have no argument, for I am the prisoner of my own affliction, the hostage to my works, the frequenter of my own offense, the confused in my intended way, the thwarted.

قَدْ اَوْقَفْتُ نَفْسِي مَوْقِفَ الْاَذِلَّاءِ الْمُذْنِبِينَ، مَوْقِفَ الْاَشْقِيَاءِ الْمُتَجَرِّينَ عَلَيْكَ، الْمُسْتَخِفِّينَ بِوَعْدِكَ

QAD AWQAFTU NAFSEE MAWQIFAL ADHILLAA'IL MUDHNIBEENA MAWQIFAL ASHQIYAA'IL MUTAJARREENA A'LAYKAL MUSTAKHIFFEENA BIWA'DIK

I have brought myself to a halt in the halting place of the abased sinners, the halting place of the wretched and insolent, those who think lightly of Thy promise.

سُبْحَانَكَ اَيَّ جُرْاَةٍ اجْتَرَاْتُ عَلَيْكَ، وَاَيَّ تَغْرِيرٍ غَرَّرْتُ بِنَفْسِي

SUBHAANAKA AYYA JUR'ATINIJ TARA'TU A'LAYKA WA AYYA TAGHREERIN GHARRARTU BINAFSEE

Glory be to Thee! What insolence I have insolently shown toward Thee! What delusion with which I have deluded myself!

مَوْلَايَ ارْحَمْ كَبْوَتِي لِحُرِّ وَجْهِي وَزَلَّةَ قَدَمِي، وَعُدْ بِحِلْمِكَ عَلَى جَهْلِي وَبِاِحْسَانِكَ عَلَى اِسَاءَتِي، فَاَنَا الْمُقِرُّ بِذَنْبِي، الْمُعْتَرِفُ بِخَطِيئَتِي، وَهٰذِهِ يَدِي وَنَاصِيَتِي، اَسْتَكِينُ بِالْقَوَدِ مِنْ نَفْسِي، ارْحَمْ شَيْبَتِي، وَنَفَادَ اَيَّامِي، وَاقْتِرَابَ اَجَلِي وَضَعْفِي وَمَسْكَنَتِي وَقِلَّةَ حِيلَتِي

MAWLAAYAR HAM KABWATEE LIHURRI WAJHEE WA ZALLATA QADAMEE WA U'D BIHILMIKA A'LAA JAHLEE WA BI-IHSAANIKA A'LAA ISAA'ATEE FA-ANAL MUQIRRU BIDHANBIL MU'TARIFU BIKHATEE'ATEE WA HAADHIHI YADEE WA NAASIYATEE ASTAKEENU BIL QAWADI MIN NAFSIR HAM SHAYBATEE WA NAFAADA AYYAAMEE WAQTIRAABA AJALEE WA DA'FEE WA MASKANATEE WA QILLATA HEELATEE

My Master, have mercy on my falling flat on my face, the slipping of my foot, grant me my ignorance through Thy clemency, and my evildoing through Thy beneficence, for I admit my sin and I confess my offense: Here are my hand and my forelock! I am resigned to retaliation against my soul! Have mercy on my white hair, the depletion of my days, the nearing of my term, my frailty, my misery, and the paucity of my stratagems!

مَوْلَايَ وَارْحَمْنِي اِذَا انْقَطَعَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا اَثَرِي، وَامَّحَى مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ ذِكْرِي، وَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمَنْسِيِّينَ كَمَنْ قَدْ نُسِيَ

MAWLAAYA WARHAMNEE IDHAN QATA'A MINAD DUNYAA ATHAREE WAMMAHAA MINAL MAKHLOOQEENA DHIKREE WA KUNTU MINAL MANSIYYEENA KAMAN QAD NUSIY

My Master, and have mercy upon me when my trace is cut off from this world, my mention is effaced among the creatures, and I join the forgotten, like the forgotten ones!

مَوْلَايَ وَارْحَمْنِي عِنْدَ تَغَيُّرِ صُورَتِي وَحَالِي اِذَا بَلِيَ جِسْمِي، وَتَفَرَّقَتْ اَعْضَائِي، وَتَقَطَّعَتْ اَوْصَالِي، يَا غَفْلَتِي عَمَّا يُرَادُ بِي

MAWLAAYA WARHAMNEE I'NDA TAGHAYYURI SOORATEE WA HAALEE IDHAA BALIYA JISMEE WA TAFARRAQAT A'DAA'EE WA TAQATTA'AT AWSAALEE YAA GHAFLATEE A'MMAA YURAADU BEE

My Master, and have mercy upon me at the change of my form and state when my body decays, my limbs are scattered, and my joints are dismembered! O my heedlessness toward what was wanted from me!

مَوْلَايَ وَارْحَمْنِي فِي حَشْرِي وَنَشْرِي، وَاجْعَلْ فِي ذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مَعَ اَوْلِيَائِكَ مَوْقِفِي، وَفِي اَحِبَّائِكَ مَصْدَرِي، وَفِي جِوَارِكَ مَسْكَنِي، يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ

MAWLAAYA WARHAMNEE FEE HASHREE WA NASHREE WAJ'AL FEE DHAALIKAL YAWMI MA'A AWLIYAA'IKA MAWQIFEE WA FEE AHIBBAA'IKA MASDAREE WA FEE JIWAARIKA MASKANEE YAA RABBAL A'ALAMEEN

My Master, have mercy upon me at my mustering and uprising and on that day, appoint my standing place with Thy friends, my place of emergence with Thy beloveds, and my dwelling in Thy neighbourhood! O Lord of the worlds!