إلهي يارباً عبدتك طاعة

إلهي يارباً عبدتك طاعة

وتقوى وإيماناً بأنك تعبد

وتقوى وإيماناً بأنك تعبد

My God, O Lord, I have worshiped You in obedience,

My God, O Lord, I worshipped You in obedience,

in piety and faith that You alone are worshiped.

and piety, and faith that You are worshipped.

إليك فؤادي خاشعاً وجوارحي

إليك فؤادي خاشعاً وجوارحي

إذا سرت أو وقّفت أو أتهجد

إذا سرت أو وقّفت أو أتهجد

To You my heart bows humbly, and all my limbs,

My heart is humbled before You, and so are my limbs,

whether I journey, pause, or rise for night prayer.

when I walk, stand still, or pray at night.

ومادمعت عيناي الا توسلاً

ومادمعت عيناي الا توسلاً

وشكراً لنعماك التي لاتحدد

وشكراً لنعماك التي لاتحدد

My eyes have never shed tears except in supplication

And my eyes have shed tears only in supplication,

and gratitude for Your blessings, which cannot be numbered.

and in gratitude for Your bounty, which knows no bounds.

وجودي وما يحوي الوجودبأسره

وجودي وما يحوي الوجودبأسره

رذاذ عطاياك التي ليس تنفد

رذاذ عطاياك التي ليس تنفد

My existence, and all that existence holds,

My existence, and all that the whole of existence holds,

are but droplets of Your gifts, which never run dry.

are a fine spray of Your gifts, which never run out.

وهبت لنا الدنيا وذللتها لنا

وهبت لنا الدنيا وذللتها لنا

فلان لنا صخر وأعشب فدفد

فلان لنا صخر وأعشب فدفد

You gave us the world and made it tractable for us;

You gave us the world and made it yield to us,

rock softened for us, and barren plains grew green.

so rock softened for us, and a barren plain sprouted grass.

وأطلقتنا شكلاً وعزماً ومنطقاً

وأطلقتنا شكلاً وعزماً ومنطقاً

على خير مانهوى ونرضى وننشد

على خير مانهوى ونرضى وننشد

You set us free with form, resolve, and speech

And You set us free in form, resolve, and speech,

to pursue the best of what we desire, embrace, and seek.

toward the best of what we desire, approve, and seek.

وميزتنا بالعقل حتى نرى به

وميزتنا بالعقل حتى نرى به

سراطاً قويماً حيث نهنا ونسعد

سراطاً قويماً حيث نهنا ونسعد

You distinguished us with reason, that through it we might see

And You distinguished us with reason, that through it we might see

a straight path where we may live contentedly and rejoice.

a straight path, where we live at ease and find happiness.

وقلت لنا سيروا عليه فضللت

وقلت لنا سيروا عليه فضللت

بصائرنا الأهواء للعقل تفسد

بصائرنا الأهواء للعقل تفسد

You told us, “Walk upon it,” yet our perception was led astray—

And You told us, 'Walk upon it'; yet astray were led

passions corrupt the mind.

our inner eyes by passions that corrupt reason.

وهمنا على درب الغوايات حوما

وهمنا على درب الغوايات حوما

فما قَصُرت باع ولا أحجمت يد

فما قَصُرت باع ولا أحجمت يد

We wandered along the road of temptations, roaming freely;

And we wandered along the path of temptations, circling about,

no reach fell short, nor did any hand draw back.

so no arm's reach fell short, nor did any hand hold back.

ظمئنا ولم تشبع ظمانا جهالة

ظمئنا ولم تشبع ظمانا جهالة

وتهنا عن العقل الذي فيه نرشد

وتهنا عن العقل الذي فيه نرشد

We thirsted, and ignorance never slaked our thirst;

We thirsted, and ignorance did not quench our thirst,

we strayed from the reason by which we are guided.

and we strayed from reason, in which we find guidance.

وهامت رؤانا في متاهات غينا

وهامت رؤانا في متاهات غينا

كأن لنا يوم وليس لنا غد

كأن لنا يوم وليس لنا غد

Our visions wandered through the mazes of our error,

And our visions wandered in the mazes of our waywardness,

as though today were ours, with no tomorrow to come.

as though we had today, but no tomorrow.

فمنا أُناس قد عصوك جهالة

فمنا أُناس قد عصوك جهالة

ومنا من استهوى خطاهم تمرد

ومنا من استهوى خطاهم تمرد

Some among us disobeyed You out of ignorance,

So among us are people who disobeyed You in ignorance,

and some had their steps seduced by rebellion.

and among us are those whose steps were lured by rebellion.

وقد هجر الإيمان بعض أضلهم

وقد هجر الإيمان بعض أضلهم

زبانية الشيطان عمداً فألحدوا

زبانية الشيطان عمداً فألحدوا

Some abandoned faith, led far astray

And some have abandoned faith, led astray

by Satan’s minions, and willfully denied You.

deliberately by Satan's minions, and so became atheists.

ولولا نفوس منهم قد تمسكت

ولولا نفوس منهم قد تمسكت

بهديك تستجدي رضاك وتعبد

بهديك تستجدي رضاك وتعبد

Were it not for souls among them that held fast

And were it not for souls among them who have held fast

to Your guidance, imploring Your favor and worshiping You,

to Your guidance, imploring Your favor and worshipping,

تسبح باسم الله في الصبح والمسا

تسبح باسم الله في الصبح والمسا

ونحوك يعلوا حسها حين تسجد

ونحوك يعلوا حسها حين تسجد

glorifying God’s name at morning and evening,

glorifying God's name in the morning and evening,

their feelings rising toward You whenever they prostrate,

and whose murmur rises toward You when they prostrate,

لما ظل في الدنيا من الخير بارق

لما ظل في الدنيا من الخير بارق

ولا طاب للأخيار في لعيش مورد

ولا طاب للأخيار في لعيش مورد

no glimmer of goodness would have remained in the world,

no gleam of goodness would have remained in the world,

nor would life’s wellspring be sweet to the righteous.

nor would any wellspring in life have been sweet to the virtuous.

إلهي ... ما يوماً عصيتك مرة

إلهي ... ما يوماً عصيتك مرة

وكنت بعصياني إلى العمد أقصد

وكنت بعصياني إلى العمد أقصد

My God, never once did I disobey You

My God, never once did I disobey You

with the deliberate intent to rebel.

with deliberate intent in my disobedience.

وما شدني للذنب شرك بمبدع

وما شدني للذنب شرك بمبدع

يخر له نجم ويسجد فرقد

يخر له نجم ويسجد فرقد

Nor was I drawn to sin by associating a partner with the Creator,

Nor did associating partners with the Creator draw me to sin,

before whom stars fall and even Farqad prostrates.

before whom a star falls prostrate, and Farqad bows down.

وما كنت مغروراً بعزمي وقوتي

وما كنت مغروراً بعزمي وقوتي

ولا غرني جاه ومال وسؤدد

ولا غرني جاه ومال وسؤدد

I was not deluded by my resolve and strength,

Nor was I deluded by my resolve and strength,

nor deceived by prestige, wealth, or eminence.

nor did prestige, wealth, or eminence deceive me.

ولكنه ضعفي أمام غرائزي

ولكنه ضعفي أمام غرائزي

وبهرج دنيا خالب ومسهد

وبهرج دنيا خالب ومسهد

It was only my weakness before my instincts

But it was my weakness before my instincts,

and the beguiling, sleep-robbing glitter of this world.

and the world's glitter, beguiling and robbing me of sleep.

فما أنا الا واحد من بني الورى

فما أنا الا واحد من بني الورى

يعيش ظِمئاًوالأماني شرد

يعيش ظِمئاًوالأماني شرد

I am only one among the children of humankind,

For I am but one of humankind's children,

living thirsty while hopes wander astray,

who lives in thirst, while hopes wander astray,

إلى أن نرى في الشيب بدء نهاية

إلى أن نرى في الشيب بدء نهاية

لما كان يغوي عقلنا ويبدد

لما كان يغوي عقلنا ويبدد

until in gray hair we see the beginning of the end

until we see in gray hair the beginning of an end

of all that once seduced and scattered our minds.

to what once beguiled our reason and scattered it.

فنلجاء للباري نفوساً هلوعة

فنلجاء للباري نفوساً هلوعة

ونطرق من أبوبه ليس توصد

ونطرق من أبوبه ليس توصد

Then we turn to the Creator, our souls anxious,

So we seek refuge with the Creator, our souls full of dread,

and knock upon His doors, which are never shut.

and knock at His doors, which are not shut.

إلهي... بعد الذنب جئتك راجياً

إلهي... بعد الذنب جئتك راجياً

حنانك يامن تستعان وتقصد

حنانك يامن تستعان وتقصد

My God, after sinning I have come to You, hoping

My God, after sinning I came to You, hoping for

for Your tenderness, O You whose aid is sought and whom all seek.

Your compassion, O You whose aid is sought and to whom we turn.

وأسألك الغفران رفقاً بأضلعٍ

وأسألك الغفران رفقاً بأضلعٍ

من الخوف نار الذعر فيها توقد

من الخوف نار الذعر فيها توقد

I ask You for forgiveness: be gentle with ribs

And I ask You for forgiveness, in mercy toward my ribs,

within which fear has kindled the fire of dread.

in which fear kindles the fire of terror.

دعوتك ياربي لتغفر زلتي

دعوتك ياربي لتغفر زلتي

وما أكثر الزلات حين تعدد

وما أكثر الزلات حين تعدد

I called upon You, my Lord, to forgive my lapse—

I called upon You, O my Lord, to forgive my lapse,

and how many lapses there are when they are counted!

and how numerous are the lapses when they are counted!

فما أنا معصوم ولا أنا قاصد

فما أنا معصوم ولا أنا قاصد

تحديك يامن طوعه الأمس والغد

تحديك يامن طوعه الأمس والغد

I am not infallible, nor did I intend

For I am not sinless, nor do I intend

to defy You, O You whom yesterday and tomorrow obey.

to defy You, O You whom yesterday and tomorrow obey.

ذنوبي وإن كانت كثار فأدمعي

ذنوبي وإن كانت كثار فأدمعي

على توبتي عنها تنم وتشهد

على توبتي عنها تنم وتشهد

Though my sins are many, my tears

Though my sins are many, my tears

reveal and bear witness to my repentance from them.

speak of, and bear witness to, my repentance from them.