1. يا أيها الأب المكرّم التقي

    والكاهن الموسوم بالعلم النقي

    O venerable, pious father,

    and priest distinguished by pure learning,

  2. إسمع نصيحةً تفيدك الرضا

    في الاعتراف قد حكت نوراً أضا

    hear counsel that will bring you contentment;

    in confession, it has mirrored a shining light.

  3. يا كاهناً مُعَرِّفاً قد اقتضى

    أنت الصديق والطبيبُ ذو القضا

    O priest-confessor, as duty requires,

    you are the friend and physician, endowed with judgment.

  4. عليك أن تعرِفَ نوعَ المعترفْ

    كذا ورُتْبَتْهُ ومِهْنَتْهُ تَصِفْ

    You must know what kind of person the penitent is,

    and likewise describe his rank and occupation.

  5. إن كنت ممنوعاً ولن تُعَرِّفا

    فليس من حقك أن تُعَرِّفا

    If you are barred and may not hear confession,

    then you have no right to hear confession.

  6. ولا تَحُل من الخَطا ما حُفِظا

    للرؤسا استعمالُه كن يقظا

    Do not absolve sins whose absolution is reserved

    for superiors to exercise; be watchful.

  7. لكن عند الموت لن تمتنعا

    فَحُلَّ ممنوعاً ومُدنِفاً معا

    But at death you must not refrain:

    absolve the interdicted and the gravely ill alike.

  8. وإن تَحُلَّ ميِّتاً قد انفصلْ

    تَخْطأْ خَطاءً مفرِطاً كمن قتلْ

    And if you absolve one who has died and departed,

    you commit a grievous error, like one who has killed.

  9. في كل سرٍّ هيئةٌ محصورهْ

    قد رُكِّبت من مادةٍ وصورهْ

    Every sacrament has a definite structure,

    composed of matter and form.

  10. ندامةٌ للاعتراف مادَّهْ

    قريبةٌ والإثم صاحِ باعِدَهْ

    Contrition is confession's matter—

    proximate; sin, friend, is its remote matter.

  11. وصورة الحل بلفظٍ موجزِ

    تأثيره يأتي بفعلٍ معجزِ

    And the form of absolution is a brief utterance;

    its effect comes through a miraculous act.

  12. أنا أحُلُّكْ من خطاياك وقل

    من بعد ذا بسملةً واقصد تَحُلْ

    "I absolve you of your sins"; and say

    after this an invocation of God's name, and intend to absolve.

  13. هذا وسل معترِفاً ما يؤمنُ

    إن كنت لا تدري ودعه يذعنُ

    Further, ask the penitent what he believes,

    if you do not know, and let him assent.

  14. ولا تدعهُ يذكرُ اسمَه ولا

    إسمَ الذي شاركه إذ جهلا

    Do not let him mention his own name, nor

    the name of the one who joined him when they acted ignorantly.

  15. واستخبرنْهُ مُعلناً متى اعترفْ

    وهل وفَى القانونَ وافرِزْ ما اقترفْ

    And ask him plainly when he confessed,

    and whether he fulfilled his penance; distinguish what he committed.

  16. ولا تكن في الإبتدا مستغربا

    من إثمه كي لا يُرَى مستحجبا

    Do not, at the outset, show astonishment

    at his sin, lest he be seen holding back.

  17. تأنَّّ في إقراره مستمهِلا

    ولا تكن في سمعه مستعجلا

    Be patient with his confession, allowing him time,

    and do not be hasty in hearing him.

  18. إن كان أخفى في اعترافٍ ما خطا

    قصداً فدعه بعد نصحٍ أنشطا

    If he concealed in confession what he did wrong

    deliberately, then after counsel let him be more zealous

  19. بأن يعيد كلَّ ما به اعترفْ

    من بعد إخفاء الذي منه سلفْ

    in repeating all that he confessed

    since concealing what he had previously done.

  20. إلا إذا النسيان عم الملتزِمْ

    من بعد فحص ذهنه لا يلتزمْ

    Except when forgetfulness overtook the person obliged:

    after searching his mind, he is not obliged.

  21. والزِمْهُ حينَ قلبهُ ما أُصلِحا

    بإعترافٍ شاملٍ كي ينجحا

    And require him, when his heart has not been reformed,

    to make a comprehensive confession, so that he may succeed,

  22. وأن يُمِدَّ ذاكراً ما أجرما

    كمّاً وكيفاً ثم نوعاً معهما

    and to expand his account of the wrongs he committed,

    in number and manner, then in kind as well.

  23. والزِمْهُ ترجيعَ الذي قد سرقا

    ورَدَّ عِرْضٍ ثوبَهُ قد مَزَّقا

    And require him to return what he stole,

    and restore the honor whose garment he tore.

  24. إن كان عاجزاً عن الرد اقتفِ

    إقرارَه وعداً متى يَقدرْ يفِ

    If he cannot make restitution, seek

    his avowed promise to fulfill it when he is able.

  25. ونَدِّ منه ثم الزم فعلهُ

    كفّارةً من قبل أن تَحُلَّهُ

    And draw remorse from him, then require him to perform

    a penance before you absolve him.

  26. ولا يكن قانونه رخيّا

    إذاً ولا مستصعَباً بطيّا

    His penance must not be lax,

    nor, then, excessively difficult and prolonged.

  27. فالصوم ضدُّ شهوةٍ والصدقهْ

    تقاوم الفعلَ وطِعْ توما الثقهْ

    For fasting counters desire, and almsgiving

    counters sinful action; heed Thomas, the trustworthy.

  28. كذا الصلاةُ تبعدُ الأفكارا

    وهذه كفارة النصارى

    Likewise, prayer drives thoughts away,

    and this is the Christians' penance.

  29. إن كان قانوناً ثقيلاً وَضَعَهْ

    معلِّمٌ غيرك رُمْ أن ترفعهْ

    If a heavy penance was imposed

    by a teacher other than you, seek to lift it,

  30. إلّا بشرط أن يقر المعترفْ

    بذلك الإثم الذي فيه قُرِفْ

    but only on condition that the penitent confess

    the sin of which he was accused.

  31. ولا تَحُلَّ مُدنِفاً ما لم ترى

    منه إشارة الندامة أرى

    And do not absolve a gravely ill person unless you see

    from him a sign of contrition, as I see it.

  32. ولا تحُلَّ تحت شرطٍ نادما

    زمانُه مُستقبِلٌ كن عالما

    Do not absolve a penitent under a condition

    whose time lies in the future; know this.

  33. إن كان أمرٌ مشكلٌ لك اعترضْ

    في الإعتراف سل إذا رُمت الغرضْ

    If a perplexing matter confronts you

    in confession, ask if you wish to reach your goal.

  34. وإن سُئلت عن الخطايا معترف

    فانكُرْ وقل بل جيّداً هوْ يعترفْ

    And if you are asked about a penitent's sins,

    deny it and say, "Rather, he confesses well."

  35. و تخاطب بعدُ من لك اعترفْ

    عمّا جنى إلا بإذنه وخَفْ

    And speak afterward to one who confessed to you

    about what he did only with his permission; be wary.

  36. واسترشد الروحَ المعزِّي الهاجسا

    واستنجدِ الآن الملاك الحارسا

    And seek guidance from the Spirit, the Comforter who inspires,

    and now seek help from the guardian angel,

  37. مستشفعاً بمريم البكر التي

    ما أمَّها ذو محنةٍ إلّا رتي

    seeking the intercession of Mary the Virgin, whom

    no one in distress has sought without being strengthened.

  38. فاحفظ حبيبي هذه الأرجوزه

    فضمنها فوائدٌ مكنوزه

    So learn by heart, my beloved, this rajaz poem,

    for treasured benefits lie within it.

  39. واغفر لمنشيها وحاوي شملها

    طوباك يا من قد سعى في فعلها

    And forgive its composer and whoever gathered it together;

    blessed are you, O one who has striven to practice it.

  40. والحمد للَه لما أوتينا

    حمداً يدوم دائماً آمينا

    And praise be to God for what we have been given,

    praise that endures forever. Amen.