وَلَمّا قَسا قَلبي وَضاقَت مَذاهِبي

وَلَمّا قَسا قَلبي وَضاقَت مَذاهِبي

جَعَلتُ الرَجا مِنّي لِعَفوِكَ سُلَّما

جَعَلتُ الرَجا مِنّي لِعَفوِكَ سُلَّما

And when my heart grew hard and my paths narrowed,

When my heart grew harsh and my ways narrowed,

I made my hope a ladder to Your pardon.

I made hope of Your forgiveness a ladder.

تَعاظَمَني ذَنبي فَلَمّا قَرَنتُهُ

تَعاظَمَني ذَنبي فَلَمّا قَرَنتُهُ

بِعَفوِكَ رَبّي كانَ عَفوُكَ أَعظَما

بِعَفوِكَ رَبّي كانَ عَفوُكَ أَعظَما

My sin loomed immense to me; but when I compared it

My sin overwhelmed me, but when I compared it

With Your pardon, my Lord, Your pardon was greater.

To Your pardon, my Lord, Your pardon was greater.

فَما زِلتَ ذا عَفوٍ عَنِ الذَنبِ لَم تَزَل

فَما زِلتَ ذا عَفوٍ عَنِ الذَنبِ لَم تَزَل

تَجودُ وَتَعفو مِنَّةً وَتَكَرُّما

تَجودُ وَتَعفو مِنَّةً وَتَكَرُّما

For You have always been forgiving of sin, and have never ceased

You whose pardon for sin has never ceased,

To give generously and pardon, out of grace and generosity.

You go on pardoning graciously and generously.

فَلَولاكَ لَم يَصمُد لِإِبليسَ عابِدٌ

فَلَولاكَ لَم يَصمُد لِإِبليسَ عابِدٌ

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَغوى صَفِيَّكَ آدَما

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَغوى صَفِيَّكَ آدَما

For without You, no worshipper could withstand Iblis;

Without You, no worshipper could withstand Iblis,

So how could he stand, when Iblis led Your chosen one, Adam, astray?

So how when he misled Your intimate Adam?

فَلِلَّهِ دَرُّ العارِفِ النَدبِ إِنَّهُ

فَلِلَّهِ دَرُّ العارِفِ النَدبِ إِنَّهُ

تَفيضُ لِفَرطِ الوَجدِ أَجفانُهُ دَما

تَفيضُ لِفَرطِ الوَجدِ أَجفانُهُ دَما

God bless the noble knower of God! Indeed,

Praise be to the knowing mystic whose streaming tears

His eyelids overflow with blood from the intensity of longing.

Flow copiously from the excess of his fervor.

يُقيمُ إِذا ما اللَيلُ مَدَّ ظَلامَهُ

يُقيمُ إِذا ما اللَيلُ مَدَّ ظَلامَهُ

عَلى نَفسِهِ مَن شِدَّةِ الخَوفِ مَأتَما

عَلى نَفسِهِ مَن شِدَّةِ الخَوفِ مَأتَما

When night spreads its darkness, he holds

When the night spreads its darkness,

A mourning gathering for himself, out of intense fear.

He holds a wake for himself, fearing intensely.

فَصيحاً إِذا ما كانَ في ذِكرِ رَبِّهِ

فَصيحاً إِذا ما كانَ في ذِكرِ رَبِّهِ

وَفي ما سِواهُ في الوَرى كانَ أَعجَما

وَفي ما سِواهُ في الوَرى كانَ أَعجَما

Eloquent whenever he remembers his Lord,

Shouting, when in remembrance of his Lord,

Yet in all else, among people, he is inarticulate.

And in all else in the world, mute.

وَيَذكُرُ أَيّاماً مَضَت مِن شَبابِهِ

وَيَذكُرُ أَيّاماً مَضَت مِن شَبابِهِ

وَما كانَ فيها بِالجَهالَةِ أَجرَما

وَما كانَ فيها بِالجَهالَةِ أَجرَما

And he remembers bygone days of his youth,

And he remembers days that passed in his youth,

And the wrongs he committed then in ignorance.

When in ignorance he sinned.

فَصارَ قَرينَ الهَمِّ طولَ نَهارِهِ

فَصارَ قَرينَ الهَمِّ طولَ نَهارِهِ

أَخا الشُهدِ وَالنَجوى إِذا اللَيلُ أَظلَما

أَخا الشُهدِ وَالنَجوى إِذا اللَيلُ أَظلَما

Thus he became sorrow's companion throughout his day,

So he became companion to care all day,

A brother to honey and intimate prayer when night grew dark.

Brother to wakefulness, when the night darkens,

يَقولُ حَبيبي أَنتَ سُؤلي وَبُغيَتي

يَقولُ حَبيبي أَنتَ سُؤلي وَبُغيَتي

كَفى بِكَ لِلراجينَ سُؤلاً وَمَغنَما

كَفى بِكَ لِلراجينَ سُؤلاً وَمَغنَما

He says: My Beloved, You are my wish and my desire;

Saying: My Beloved, You are my request and goal.

You suffice for those who hope, as their wish and their gain.

You suffice seekers as request and profit.

أَلَستَ الَّذي غَذَّيتَني وَهَدَيتَني

أَلَستَ الَّذي غَذَّيتَني وَهَدَيتَني

وَلا زِلتَ مَنّاناً عَلَيَّ وَمُنعِما

وَلا زِلتَ مَنّاناً عَلَيَّ وَمُنعِما

Are You not the One who nourished me and guided me,

Are You not He who fed me and guided me

And have never ceased to favor me and bestow blessings?

And never ceased to favor me and bless me?

عَسى مَن لَهُ الإِحسانُ يَغفِرُ زَلَّتي

عَسى مَن لَهُ الإِحسانُ يَغفِرُ زَلَّتي

وَيَستُرُ أَوزاري وَما قَد تَقَدَّما

وَيَستُرُ أَوزاري وَما قَد تَقَدَّما

May He to whom goodness belongs forgive my lapse,

May He of bounty forgive my slip

And conceal my burdens of sin and all that has gone before.

And veil my sins and what went before.