| 1 |
O He who has mercy upon him toward whom the
servants show no mercy! |
| 2 |
O
He who accepts him whom the cities will not accept! |
| 3 |
O
He who looks not down upon those who have need of Him! |
| 4 |
O
He who disappoints not those who implore Him! |
| 5 |
O
He who slaps not the brow of the people of boldness toward Him
with
rejection! |
| 6 |
O
He who collects the little that is given to Him
and
shows gratitude for the paltry that is done for Him! |
| 7 |
O He who shows gratitude for the small and rewards with the great! |
| 8 |
O He who comes close to him who comes close to Him! |
| 9 |
O He who invites to Himself him who turns his back on Him! |
| 10 |
O He who changes not favour196 and
rushes not to vengeance! |
| 11 |
O He who causes the good deed to bear fruit
so that He may make it grow,
and overlooks the evil deed
so that He may efface it! |
| 12 |
Hopes
turn back with needs fulfilled
short
of the extent of Thy generosity,
the cups of requests fill up
with the overflow of Thy munificence,
and
attributes fall apart
without reaching Thy description.
For to Thee belongs the
highest highness
above everything high,
and the most glorious majesty
beyond every majesty! |
| 13 |
Everything majestic before Thee is small,
everything eminent beside Thy eminence vile!
Those who reach other than Thee are disappointed,
those who present themselves
to other than Thee
have
lost,
those who stay with other
than Thee have perished,
and those who retreat
- except those who retreat to Thy bounty -
are desolate! |
| 14 |
Thy door is open to the beseechers,
Thy munificence free to the
askers,
Thy help near to the
help-seekers! |
| 15 |
The expectant are not disappointed by Thee,
those who present themselves
despair
not of Thy bestowal,
the forgiveness-seekers
become not wretched through Thy vengeance! |
| 16 |
Thy provision is spread among those who disobey
Thee,
Thy clemency presents itself
to those hostile toward Thee,
Thy habit is beneficence
toward the evildoers,
and
Thy wont is to spare the transgressors,
so much so that Thy lack of
haste deludes them from returning,
and Thy disregard bars them from desisting! |
| 17 |
Thou actest without haste toward them
so that they will come back to Thy command
and Thou disregardest them
confident in the permanence of Thy kingdom,
so Thou sealest him who is
worthy of it with felicity,
and Thou abandonest him who is worthy of it to wretchedness! |
| 18 |
All of them come home to Thy decree,
their affairs revert to Thy command;
Thy authority grows not feeble
through their drawn out term,
Thy
proof is not refuted by the failure to hurry after them. |
| 19 |
Thy argument is established, never refuted,
Thy authority fixed, never removed.
Permanent woe belongs
to him who inclines away from Thee,
forsaking disappointment
to him who is disappointed by Thee,
and the most wretched
wretchedness
to him who is deluded about Thee! |
| 20 |
How much he will move about in Thy chastisement!
How long he will frequent Thy
punishment!
How far his utmost end from
relief!
How he will despair of an
easy exit!
[All of this] as justice from Thy decree
(Thou art not unjust in it!),
and equity from Thy judgement
(Thou dost not act wrongfully
against him!). |
| 21 |
Thou supported the arguments,
tested the excuses,
began with threats,
showed gentleness with
encouragement,
struck similitudes,
made long the respite,
delayed,
while Thou art able to hurry,
and acted without haste,
while Thou art full of quick accomplishment! |
| 22 |
Not because of
incapacity is Thy slowness,
feebleness Thy giving respite,
heedlessness Thy showing restraint,
dissemblance Thy waiting!
But that Thy argument be more conclusive,
Thy generosity more perfect,
Thy beneficence more exhaustive,
Thy favour more complete!
All of this has been and
always was,
is and ever will be. |
| 23 |
Thy argument is greater
than that its totality be described,
Thy glory more elevated
than that it be limited in its core,
Thy favour more abundant
than that its entirety be counted,
Thy beneficence more abundant
than that thanks be given for its least amount! |
| 24 |
Speechlessness has made me fall short of praising
Thee,
restraint has made me
powerless to glorify Thee,
and the most I can do is
admit to inability,
not out of desire, my God,
but out of incapacity. |
| 25 |
So here I am:
I repair to Thee by coming
forward,
and I ask from Thee good support
So bless Muhammad and his
Household,
hear my whispered words,
grant my supplication,
seal not my day with disappointment,
slap not my brow by rejecting my request,
and make noble my coming from Thee
and my going back to Thee!
Surely Thou art not
constrained by what Thou desirest,
nor incapable of what Thou art asked!
Thou art powerful over
everything,197
and 'There is no force and no
strength save in God,
the All-high, the All-mighty!'198
|