hath been created
therein may appear before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast not deigned
to create.

I moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down, from the heaven of Thy
will and the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will cleanse us from the
noisome savors of our transgressions, O Thou Who hast called Thyself the
God of Mercy! Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the
Beneficent.

Cast not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned towards Thee, nor suffer
him who hath drawn nigh unto Thee to be removed far from Thy court. Dash
not the hopes of the suppliant who hath longingly stretched out his hands
to seek Thy grace and favors, and deprive not Thy sincere servants of the
wonders of Thy tender mercies and loving-kindness. Forgiving and Most
Bountiful art Thou, O my Lord! Power hast Thou to do what Thou pleasest.
All else but Thee are impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are as
lost in the face of the evidences of Thy wealth, are as nothing when
compared with the manifestations of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and are
destitute of all strength when face to face with the signs and tokens of
Thy power. What refuge is there beside Thee, O my Lord, to which I can
flee, and where is there a haven to which I can hasten? Nay, the power of
Thy might beareth me witness! No protector is there but Thee, no place to
flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek save Thee. Cause me to taste, O my
Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance and praise. I swear by Thy
might! Whosoever tasteth of its sweetness will rid himself of all
attachment to the world and all that is therein, and will set his face
towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of anyone except Thee.

Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous remembrance, that I may
glorify Thy name. Number me not with them who read Thy words and fail to
find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by Thee, is contained therein, and
which quickeneth the souls of Thy creatures and the hearts of Thy
servants. Cause me, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have been so
stirred up by the sweet savors that have been wafted in Thy days that they
have laid down their lives for Thee and hastened to the scene of their
death in their longing to gaze on Thy beauty and in their yearning to
attain Thy presence. And were anyone to say unto them on their way,
"Whither go ye?" they would say, "Unto God, the All-Possessing, the Help
in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!"

The