مولايmy Lord زغتI strayed عنfrom الصوابwhat is right
مولاي زغت عن الصواب
وجميلand the favorable ظنيmy opinion فيَّof myself خابproved false
وجميل ظني فيَّ خاب
My Lord, I have strayed from what is right.
My Master, I have strayed from what is right
And my good opinion of myself proved false.
And my beautiful thoughts about myself have failed
والأمرand the command أمركYour command والنفوand the souls (word beginning)
والأمر أمرك والنفو
سending of 'souls' الىtoward الضلالerror لهاthey have انجذابan attraction
س الى الضلال لها انجذاب
And the command is Yours, and souls
The matter is Your matter, and the soul
Are drawn toward error.
Is naturally inclined to go astray
تبناwe repented اليكto You ولقدand indeed نقضbroke (word beginning)
تبنا اليك ولقد نقض
ناwe (verb ending) ألفa thousand مرةٍtimes المتابrepentance
نا ألف مرةٍ المتاب
We have repented to You, and have indeed broken
We have pledged ourselves to You, yet we have violated
Our repentance a thousand times.
The covenant a thousand times over
والحلمand forbearance شأنكYour way والكريمand the generous one
والحلم شأنك والكريم
يجودgives generously حتىeven فيin الرقابthe necks
يجود حتى في الرقاب
And forbearance is Your way, and the generous one
Patience is Your way, and the generous one
Gives generously, even in sparing necks.
Is generous even with the shackled
واذاand if سألتYou ask عنabout الذنوthe sins (word beginning)
واذا سألت عن الذنو
بending of 'sins' غداtomorrow فلنthen will not تجدYou find الجوابthe answer
ب غدا فلن تجد الجواب
And if You ask about sins
If I were asked about my sins, I would have no answer
Tomorrow, You will find no answer.
For the soul, the devil, and desires are to blame
فالنفسfor the soul والشيطانand Satan
فالنفس والشيطان
والأهواءand desires أمرهمtheir command المجابthe one obeyed
والأهواء أمرهم المجاب
For the soul and Satan,
My soul carried me, weak as it is,
And desires—their command is obeyed.
Like the buzzing of insects
حملتنيYou burdened me with نفساًa soul لهاit has
حملتني نفساً لها
منfrom ضعفهاits weakness حزمresolve الذبابflies
من ضعفها حزم الذباب
You burdened me with a soul whose
It threw away perfection, hoping
Resolve, in its weakness, is that of a fly.
To attain it from a mirage
رمتI sought الكمالperfection لهاfor it فراso it went (word beginning)
رمت الكمال لها فرا
حتending of 'it went' ترتجيهhopes for it منfrom السرابthe mirage
حت ترتجيه من السراب
I sought perfection for it, so it went
It is like a moth that flings itself
Hoping to gain it from a mirage.
Toward the lamp, to its torment
هيit كالفراشةlike a moth ترتميflings itself
هي كالفراشة ترتمي
حولaround السراجthe lamp علىupon العذابtorment
حول السراج على العذاب
It is like a moth, flinging itself
Oh what a wretched soul I have
Around the lamp into torment.
That the Holy Book could not protect me from
ياoh بئستwretched is النفسthe soul التيthat
يا بئست النفس التي
لمdid not يحمنيprotect me منهاfrom it الكتابthe Book
لم يحمني منها الكتاب
Oh, wretched is the soul that
It is a loss, and Your right, to entrust
The Book did not protect me from.
My affair to the worst of companions
غبنan injustice وحقكby Your honor أنthat تكلYou entrust
غبن وحقك أن تكل
أمريmy affairs الىto شرthe worst of الصحابcompanions
أمري الى شر الصحاب
It is unfair, by Your honor, that You entrust
If the shame melted away, this heart
My affairs to the worst of companions.
Would melt from the shame
لوif ذابmelted منfrom خجلshame فؤاa heart (word beginning)
لو ذاب من خجل فؤا
دending of 'heart' كانwould have هذاthis القلبheart ذابmelted
د كان هذا القلب ذاب
If a heart could melt from shame,
My soul has become desolate ruins
This heart would have melted.
Where the raven of sorrow hovers
قدalready أقفرتbecame desolate نفسa soul علىover
قد أقفرت نفس على
أطلالهاits ruins نعبcroaked الغرابthe raven
أطلالها نعب الغراب
A soul has grown desolate; over
Take me by the hand to Yourself and rebuild
Its ruins the raven has croaked.
A world within me that is in ruins
خذtake باليدينby both hands اليكto You واعمرand rebuild
خذ باليدين اليك واعمر
عالماa world فيهاwithin it خرابin ruins
عالما فيها خراب
Take me by both hands toward You, and rebuild
Forgive me, for I am not one who knocks
A world within it that lies in ruins.
On Your door without need, oh doorkeeper!
واصفحand pardon فلستfor I am not بطارقone who knocks
واصفح فلست بطارق
منfrom دونother than بابكYour door أيany بابdoor
من دون بابك أي باب
And pardon me, for I do not knock
It is enough for me, the sincerity of my apology,
At any door other than Yours.
A teardrop flowing down in humility
حسبيenough for me علىas proof of صدقsincerity اعتذاapology (word beginning)
حسبي على صدق اعتذا
ريmy (completes 'my apology') دمعtears عينan eye فيin انسكابa flow
ري دمع عين في انسكاب
Enough for me to prove my apology sincere
I have repented in fear of You
Are the streaming tears of an eye.
Like I repented the days of youth
قدindeed تابhas repented خوفاًout of fear منكof You منhe who
قد تاب خوفاً منك من
قدindeed تابrepented أيامthe days of الشبابyouth
قد تاب أيام الشباب
He has repented in fear of You—he who
So spare me punishment, I cannot withstand it
Repented in the days of youth.
My Master, and do not punish me
فدعso leave off العقابpunishment فلستfor I am not ياO
فدع العقاب فلست يا
مولايmy Lord احتملI endure العقابpunishment
مولاي احتمل العقاب
So forgo punishment, for I cannot, O
And if You are harsh with the dog
My Lord, endure punishment.
You would show mercy to the dogs
وإذاand if قسوتYou are harsh علىtoward الكلاthe dogs (word beginning)
وإذا قسوت على الكلا
بending of 'dogs' سيرأفhe will show mercy بالكلابto the dogs
ب سيرأف بالكلاب
And if You are harsh toward the dogs,
He will show mercy to the dogs.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.