ذنوبي ضاع منها صدق صبري

وضاق بحملها ذرعي وصدري

My sins have robbed me of true patience,

and bearing them has exhausted my strength and constricted my breast.

فمنها دمع عيني في انسجام

ومنها القلب في قلق وفكر

Because of them, my eye's tears stream down,

and because of them my heart is anxious and brooding.

فيا لقروح جفني من دموع

ويا لحشاشتي من حشو جمر

Alas for the sores my tears have made on my eyelid,

and alas for my life's essence, stuffed with embers!

ودمعي ليس يطفى حر قلبي

ولو مدّ المدامع ألف بحر

And my tears do not quench my heart's heat,

even if a thousand seas fed my tear ducts.

ومع هذا أراني عبد نفسي

وشيطان الهوى للنفس يغري

Despite this, I see myself a slave to my own self,

and the devil of desire entices the soul.

فمالي عن ذنوبي من مرد

ومالى عن عيوبي من مفر

So I have no way to turn away from my sins,

and no escape from my faults.

وما للشيب عندي من وقار

ومالي في المكارم حسن ذكر

And gray hair commands no reverence from me,

nor am I well spoken of for noble deeds.

وضاع العمر في لعب ولهو

فوا أسفى على تضييع عمري

And my life has been wasted in play and diversion;

alas, how I grieve for wasting my life!

فكم أسرفت في كسب المعاصي

وكم قدمت من غبن وغدر

How excessive I have been in committing sins,

and how much fraud and treachery I have sent ahead!

ولكني ندمت وتبت لما

قزأت صحيفتي سطرا بسطر

But I felt remorse and repented when

I read my record, line by line.

إلهى قد وسعت الكل حلما

فحاشى أن تردّ يدى بصفر

My God, You have embraced all in forbearance;

far be it from You to send my hand back empty.

فبحرك لا تعكّره ذنوبي

ومد البحر لم يوصف بجزر

For my sins cannot muddy Your sea,

and that sea's flood tide has never been described as ebbing.

وما أدري أعفو أم جزاء

من المولى وسوف إخال أدري

And I do not know: will it be pardon or requital

from the Lord? Yet I think I shall know,

إذا ما صرت في لحدي وحيدا

ولم يقبل لدى الملكين عذري

when I come to be alone in my grave,

and my excuse is not accepted before the two angels,

ولم يجد التنصل من ذنوبي

ولا الإصرار في كتمان إصري

and disavowing my sins is of no avail,

nor persistence in concealing my burden,

ولم أجد النصير لكشف كرب

ولم ألق المعين لشد أزري

and I find no defender to dispel distress,

and meet no helper to brace my back,

ولم أعثر على خل وفي

يقوم بنصرتي وبجبر كسري

and find no faithful friend

who comes to my aid and mends my brokenness,

وجل الخطب وانكشف المعمى

وقل لشدة الأهوال صبري

and the crisis grows grave and what was hidden is unveiled,

and my patience dwindles before the terrors' severity.

فذو الأعمال في سعة وسعد

وذو الأموال في عدم وفقر

Then the possessor of deeds enjoys ease and happiness,

while the possessor of wealth is in destitution and poverty.

ولم ينل السيادة غير طه

شفيع الكل في حشر ونشر

And none but Taha attains supremacy,

intercessor for all at the gathering and resurrection.

ففي يده لواء الحمد يزهو

كبدر بعد أربعة وعشر

For in his hand the banner of praise shines,

like a full moon after fourteen nights.

هناك أرى المصاعب قد تونلت

وجاء اليسر يسعى بعد عسر

There I see that hardships have [receded],

and ease has come hastening after hardship.

وبعد الخوف وافى كل أمن

وجاء الفوز مصطحبا بنصر

And after fear, complete safety has arrived,

and success has come accompanied by victory.

شفيع المذنبين ظلمت نفسي

ولكن أنت معتمدي وذخري

Intercessor for sinners, I have wronged myself,

but you are my reliance and my treasure.

وبعد الله جاهك لي ظهير

فما لسوا كما فوضت أمري

And after God, your standing is my support;

for I have entrusted my affairs to none but you two.

فخذ بيدي فمتك الفضل يرجى

ومن يمناك بحر الجود يجر

So take me by the hand, for bounty is hoped for from you,

and from your right hand the sea of generosity flows.

فشرعك شرعتي وهداك هديي

وحبّك في عروق الجسم يسري

For your law is my law, and your guidance my way,

and love of you courses through my body's veins.

وعندي حب آل البيت فرض

وفخر لا يقاس بأي فخر

And to me, love for the Household is a duty,

and an honor beyond comparison with any other honor.

فهم أسمى الورى جاها وجدا

وهم سفن النجاة لكل بر

For they are loftiest of humankind in rank and ancestry,

and they are ships of salvation for every righteous person.

وحسبى أنني منهم وأنى

سمسك أرتجيك لكشف ضري

And it is enough for me that I am one of them, and that I am

[your namesake], hoping in you to dispel my affliction.

عليك الله صلى ما تغنت

بروض حماك ساجعة وقمري

May God bless you as long as song rings out

in your sanctuary's garden from a cooing bird and a turtledove,

وعترتك الكرام ومن يليهم

حماة الحق من صحب وصهر

and bless your noble kin and those who follow them,

protectors of truth among companions and kin by marriage.