يا أيها الأب المكرّم التقي

والكاهن الموسوم بالعلم النقي

O honored and pious father,

Priest adorned with pure knowledge,

إسمع نصيحةً تفيدك الرضا

في الاعتراف قد حكت نوراً أضا

Listen to advice that brings you satisfaction

In confession you have recounted light abundantly.

يا كاهناً مُعَرِّفاً قد اقتضى

أنت الصديق والطبيبُ ذو القضا

O priest who requires

You are the friend and skilled judge

عليك أن تعرِفَ نوعَ المعترفْ

كذا ورُتْبَتْهُ ومِهْنَتْهُ تَصِفْ

You must recognize the type of penitent

As well as his status and profession that you describe.

إن كنت ممنوعاً ولن تُعَرِّفا

فليس من حقك أن تُعَرِّفا

If you are prohibited and will not absolve

Then you have no right to absolve

ولا تَحُل من الخَطا ما حُفِظا

للرؤسا استعمالُه كن يقظا

And you cannot absolve what has been preserved

For leaders to use, be vigilant.

لكن عند الموت لن تمتنعا

فَحُلَّ ممنوعاً ومُدنِفاً معا

But at death, you will not refrain

So solve what is prohibited and impure together

وإن تَحُلَّ ميِّتاً قد انفصلْ

تَخْطأْ خَطاءً مفرِطاً كمن قتلْ

And if you absolve the dead who separated

You make a grave mistake like one who killed.

في كل سرٍّ هيئةٌ محصورهْ

قد رُكِّبت من مادةٍ وصورهْ

In every secret there is a limited form

Composed of matter and shape.

ندامةٌ للاعتراف مادَّهْ

قريبةٌ والإثم صاحِ باعِدَهْ

Regret is the matter of confession

Nearby and sin cries out, send it away.

وصورة الحل بلفظٍ موجزِ

تأثيره يأتي بفعلٍ معجزِ

And the image of absolution in concise words

Its effect comes with a miraculous deed.

أنا أحُلُّكْ من خطاياك وقل

من بعد ذا بسملةً واقصد تَحُلْ

I absolve you from your sins, and say

After this with completeness and intend to absolve.

هذا وسل معترِفاً ما يؤمنُ

إن كنت لا تدري ودعه يذعنُ

This is how you absolve a penitent who believes

If you do not know, leave him to comply

ولا تدعهُ يذكرُ اسمَه ولا

إسمَ الذي شاركه إذ جهلا

And do not let him mention his name or

The name of his accomplice when they were ignorant.

واستخبرنْهُ مُعلناً متى اعترفْ

وهل وفَى القانونَ وافرِزْ ما اقترفْ

And ask him openly when he confessed

And if he fulfilled the law, discern what he committed.

ولا تكن في الإبتدا مستغربا

من إثمه كي لا يُرَى مستحجبا

Do not be surprised at his sin initially

So he does not appear withdrawn.

تأنَّّ في إقراره مستمهِلا

ولا تكن في سمعه مستعجلا

Be slow in his confession, stalling

And do not rush to hear him.

إن كان أخفى في اعترافٍ ما خطا

قصداً فدعه بعد نصحٍ أنشطا

If he hid something wrong in confession

Intentionally, after sincere advice make him

بأن يعيد كلَّ ما به اعترفْ

من بعد إخفاء الذي منه سلفْ

Repeat everything he confessed

After hiding what came from him before.

إلا إذا النسيان عم الملتزِمْ

من بعد فحص ذهنه لا يلتزمْ

Unless forgetfulness overwhelmed the obliged

After examining his mind, he does not commit.

والزِمْهُ حينَ قلبهُ ما أُصلِحا

بإعترافٍ شاملٍ كي ينجحا

And oblige him when his heart is corrected

With a comprehensive confession so he succeeds.

وأن يُمِدَّ ذاكراً ما أجرما

كمّاً وكيفاً ثم نوعاً معهما

And to extend remembering what he did wrong

In amount, manner, then type with them.

والزِمْهُ ترجيعَ الذي قد سرقا

ورَدَّ عِرْضٍ ثوبَهُ قد مَزَّقا

And oblige him to return what he stole

And restore honor his clothes tore.

إن كان عاجزاً عن الرد اقتفِ

إقرارَه وعداً متى يَقدرْ يفِ

If he is unable to make restitution, follow

His confession and promise when he can fulfill.

ونَدِّ منه ثم الزم فعلهُ

كفّارةً من قبل أن تَحُلَّهُ

And accept from him, then oblige his action

As atonement before you absolve him.

ولا يكن قانونه رخيّا

إذاً ولا مستصعَباً بطيّا

And do not let his penance be too lenient

Nor too difficult and sluggish.

فالصوم ضدُّ شهوةٍ والصدقهْ

تقاوم الفعلَ وطِعْ توما الثقهْ

For fasting opposes desire and charity

Resists the deed, and obedience renews trust.

كذا الصلاةُ تبعدُ الأفكارا

وهذه كفارة النصارى

As does prayer which distances thoughts

And this is the atonement of Christians.

إن كان قانوناً ثقيلاً وَضَعَهْ

معلِّمٌ غيرك رُمْ أن ترفعهْ

If it was a difficult penance placed on him

By another teacher, intend to lift it.

إلّا بشرط أن يقر المعترفْ

بذلك الإثم الذي فيه قُرِفْ

Unless the penitent acknowledges

That sin which he was embroiled in.

ولا تَحُلَّ مُدنِفاً ما لم ترى

منه إشارة الندامة أرى

And do not absolve an impure one unless you see

From him a sign of regret that I see.

ولا تحُلَّ تحت شرطٍ نادما

زمانُه مُستقبِلٌ كن عالما

And do not absolve one whose time of remorse

Is in the future, be knowledgeable.

إن كان أمرٌ مشكلٌ لك اعترضْ

في الإعتراف سل إذا رُمت الغرضْ

If there is a confusing matter for you, object

In the confession, ask if you intend the purpose.

وإن سُئلت عن الخطايا معترف

فانكُرْ وقل بل جيّداً هوْ يعترفْ

And if asked about sins, the penitent

Deny and say, “But he confesses well.”

و تخاطب بعدُ من لك اعترفْ

عمّا جنى إلا بإذنه وخَفْ

And address after one who confessed to you

Only about what he reaped with his permission and be discreet.

واسترشد الروحَ المعزِّي الهاجسا

واستنجدِ الآن الملاك الحارسا

And seek guidance from the comforting Spirit, the thoughts

And seek help now from the guardian angel.

مستشفعاً بمريم البكر التي

ما أمَّها ذو محنةٍ إلّا رتي

Appealing through Mary the virgin

No mother in distress turned to her except she was satisfied.

فاحفظ حبيبي هذه الأرجوزه

فضمنها فوائدٌ مكنوزه

So preserve, my beloved, this poem

For contained in it are treasured benefits.

واغفر لمنشيها وحاوي شملها

طوباك يا من قد سعى في فعلها

And forgive its composer and includes its entirety

Blessed are you, who strove to do it.

والحمد للَه لما أوتينا

حمداً يدوم دائماً آمينا

And praise be to God for what we were given

Praise that lasts forever, amen.