His Supplication in Pleading and Abasement

most beautiful! 1I ask Thee to pardon me and to forgive me, for I am not innocentthat I should offer excuses, nor a possessor of strengththat I should gain victory, nor have I any place of flight that I should flee! 8- I ask Thee to release me from my stumbles, and before Thee I disavow my sins, which have laid me waste, encompassed me, and destroyed me! I flee from them to Thee, my Lord, turning repentantly, so turn toward me, seeking refuge, so grant me refuge, asking sanctuary, so abandon me not, requesting, so deprive me not, holding fast, so leave me not, supplicating, so send me not back disappointed! 9- I have supplicated Thee, my Lord, as onemiserable, abased, apprehensive, fearful, quaking, poor, driven to have recourse to Thee! 10- I complain to Thee, my God, of my soul - which is too weakto hurry to that which Thou hast promised Thy friendsor to avoidthat against which Thou hast cautioned Thy enemies -and of the multitude of my concerns, and of my soul's confusing thoughts. 11- My God, Thou hast not disgraced me through my secret thoughtsor destroyed me because of my misdeeds! I call upon Thee, and Thou respondest, even if I am slow when Thou callest upon me. I ask Thee everything I want of my needs, and I deposit with Thee my secretwherever I may be. I supplicate no one besides Thee, and I hope for no one other than Thee. 12- At Thy service! At Thy service! Thou hearest him who complains to Thee! Thou receivest him who has confidence in Thee! Thou savest him who holds fast to Thee! Thou givest relief to him who seeks shelter in Thee! 13- My God, so deprive me not of the goodof the last world and the firstbecause of the paucity of my thanksgivingand forgive me the sins of mine which Thou knowest! 14- If Thou chastisest, I am the wrongdoer, the neglecter, the negligent, the sinner, the derelict, the sluggard, the heedless of the share of my soul! And if Thou forgivest -Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful!