Sahifa Sajjadiya 40: When He Remembered Death

وَاكْفِنَا طُولَ الْأَمَلِ وَقَصِّرْهُ عَنَّا بِصِدْقِ الْعَمَلِ

wakfinā ṭūla l-amali wa qaṣṣirhu ʿannā biṣidqi l-ʿamali

protect us from long hopes and shorten them with sincere actions,

حَتَّى لَا نُؤَمِّلَ اسْتِتْمَامَ سَاعَةٍ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ

ḥattā lā nuʾammila istitmāma sāʿatin baʿda sāʿatin

so we do not hope to complete one hour after another,

وَلَا اسْتِيفَاءَ يَوْمٍ بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ

wa lā istīfāʾa yawmin baʿda yawmin

nor to fulfill one day after another,

وَلَا اتِّصَالَ نَفَسٍ بِنَفَسٍ

wa lā ttiṣāla nafasin binafasin

nor the connection of one breath to another,

وَلَا لُحُوقَ قَدَمٍ بِقَدَمٍ

wa lā luḥūqa qadamin biqadamin

nor the joining of one step to another.

وَسَلِّمْنَا مِنْ غُرُورِهِ وَآمِنَّا مِنْ شُرُورِهِ

wa sallimnā min ghurūrihi wa āminnā min shurūrihi

Deliver us from its delusion and protect us from its evils,

وَانْصِبِ الْمَوْتَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا نَصْبًا

wa nṣibi l-mawta bayna aydīnā naṣban

and set death before us clearly,

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ ذِكْرَنَا لَهُ غِبًّا

wa lā tajʿal dhikranā lahu ghibban

and let not our remembrance of it be absent.

وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ صَالِحِ الْأَعْمَالِ

wa jʿal lanā min ṣāliḥi l-aʿmāli

Grant us from righteous deeds

عَمَلًا نَسْتَبْطِئُ مَعَهُ الْمَصِيرَ إِلَيْكَ

ʿamalan nastabṭiʾu maʿahu l-maṣīra ilayka

a deed that makes us slow to reach You,

وَنَحْرِصُ لَهُ عَلَى وَشْكِ اللِّحَاقِ بِكَ

wa naḥriṣu lahu ʿalā washki l-liḥāqi bika

and eager to hasten toward You,

حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْمَوْتُ مَأْنَسَنَا الَّذِي نَأْنَسُ بِهِ

ḥattā yakūna l-mawtu maʾnasanā lladhī naʾnasu bihi

so that death becomes our intimate with which we are familiar,

وَمَأْلَفَنَا الَّذِي نَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْهِ

wa maʾlafanā lladhī nashtāqu ilayhi

our acquaintance we long for,

وَحَامَّتَنَا الَّتِي نُحِبُّ الدُّنُوَّ مِنْهَا

wa ḥāmmatana llatī nuḥibbu d-dunūwa minhā

and our beloved we love to approach.

فَإِذَا أَوْرَدْتَهُ عَلَيْنَا وَأَنْزَلْتَهُ بِنَا

fa idhā awradtahu ʿalaynā wa anzaltahu binā

When You bring it upon us and send it down to us,

فَأَسْعِدْنَا بِهِ زَائِرًا وَآنِسْنَا بِهِ قَادِمًا

fa asʿidnā bihi zāʾiran wa ānisnā bihi qādiman

make us happy with it as a visitor and comfort us with its arrival,

وَلَا تُشْقِنَا بِضِيَافَتِهِ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا بِزِيَارَتِهِ

wa lā tushqinā biḍiyāfatihi wa lā tukhzīnā biziyāratihi

do not make us wretched by hosting it or disgrace us by its visit.

وَاجْعَلْهُ بَابًا مِنْ أَبْوَابِ مَغْفِرَتِكَ

wa jʿalhu bāban min abwābi maghfiratika

Make it a gate from the gates of Your forgiveness,

وَمِفْتَاحًا مِنْ مَفَاتِيحِ رَحْمَتِكَ

wa miftāḥan min mafātīḥi raḥmatika

and a key from the keys of Your mercy.

أَمِتْنَا مُهْتَدِينَ غَيْرَ ضَالِّينَ

amitnā muhtadīna ghayra ḍāllīna

Cause us to die guided, not astray,

طَائِعِينَ غَيْرَ مُسْتَكْرِهِينَ

ṭāʾiʿīna ghayra mustakrihīna

obedient, not reluctant,

تَائِبِينَ غَيْرَ عَاصِينَ وَلَا مُصِرِّينَ

tāʾibīna ghayra ʿāṣīna wa lā muṣirrīna

repentant, not rebellious nor persisting in sin,

يَا ضَامِنَ جَزَاءِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

yā ḍāmina jazāʾi l-muḥsinīna

O Guarantor of the reward of the righteous,

وَمُسْتَصْلِحَ عَمَلِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

wa mustaṣliḥa ʿamali l-mufsidīna

and Reformer of the deeds of the corrupt!

أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ،

al-laahum-ma s'al-li a'laa muh'am-madiw-wa aaalih

1.O God, Bless Muhammad and his Household,

وَاكْفِنَا طُـولَ الأمَـلِ، وَقَصِّرْهُ عَنَّا بِصِدْقِ الْعَمَلِ

wak-finaa t'oolal-amal wa qas'-s'ir-hoo a'n-naa bis'id-qil-a'mal

2.spare us drawn out expectations and cut them short in us through sincerity of works,

حَتَّى لا نُؤَمِّلَ اسْتِتْمَامَ سَاعَةٍ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ

h'at-taa laa noo-am-mila is-tit-maama saaa'tim-baa'-da saaa'h

3.that we may not hope expectantly for completing an hour after an hour,

وَلاَ اسْتِيفَاءَ يَوْمٍ بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ،

wa laa as-teefaaa-a yaw-mim-baa'-da yaw-m

4.closing a day after a day,

وَلاَ اتِّصَالَ نَفَسٍ بِنَفَس،

wa laa at-tis'aala nafasim-binafas

5.joining a breath to a breath,

وَلا لُحُـوقَ قَدَمٍ بِقَـدَم.

wa laa luh'ooqa qadamim-biqadam

6.or overtaking a step with a step!

وَسَلِّمْنَا مِنْ غُرُورِهِ، وَآمَنَّا مِنْ شُـرُوْرِهِ،

wa sal-lim-naa min ghuroorih wa aaamin-naa min shuroorih

7.Keep us safe from the delusions of expectations, make us secure from their evils,

وَانْصِبِ المَوْتَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا نَصْباً،

wans'ibil-maw-ta bay-na ay-deenaa nas'-baa

8.set up death before us in display.

وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ ذِكْرَنَا لَهُ غِبّاً،

wa laa taj-a'l d'ik-ranaa lahoo ghib-baa

9.and let not our remembering of it come and go!

وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ صَالِحِ الأعْمَـالِ

waj-a'l-lanaa min s'aalih'il-aa'-maali

10.Appoint for us from among the righteous works

عَمَلاً نَسْتَبْطِئُ مَعَهُ الْمَصِيرَ إلَيْكَ،

a'malana nas-tab-t'i-u maa'hul-mas'eera ilay-k

11.a work through which we will feel the homecoming to You as slow

وَنحْـرِصُ لَهُ عَلَى وَشْكِ اللِّحَاقِ بِكَ

wa nah'-ris'u lahoo a'laa wash-kil-lah'aaqi bik

12.and crave a quick joining with You,

حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْمَوْتُ مَأنَسَنَا الَّذِي نَأنَسُ بِهِ،

h'at-taa yakoonal-maw-t maa-nasanaal-lad'ee naa-nasu bih

13.so that death may be our intimate abode with which we are intimate,

وَمَألَفَنَا الَّذِي نَشْتَاقُ إلَيْهِ، وَحَامَّتَنَا الَّتِي نُحِبُّ الدُّنُوَّ مِنْهَا

wa maa-lafanaal-lad'ee nash-taaqu ilay-h wa h'aaam-matanaal-latee nuh'ib-bud-dunoo-wa min-haa

14.our familiar place toward which we yearn, and our next of kin whose coming we love!

فَإذَا أَوْرَدْتَهُ عَلَيْنَا، وَأَنْزَلْتَهُ بِنَا

fa id'aaa aw-rat-tahoo a'lay-naa wa anzal-tahoo binaa

15.When You bringest it to us and sendest it down upon us,

فَأسْعِدْنَا بِهِ زَائِراً، وَآنِسْنَا بِهِ قَادِماً،

faas-i'd-naa bihee zaaa-iraa wa aaanis-naa bihee qaadimaa

16.make us happy with it as a visitor, comfort us with its arrival,

وَلاَ تُشْقِنَا بِضِيافَتِهِ، وَلا تُخْزِنَا بِزِيارَتِهِ،

wa laa tush-qinaa biz''eeaafatih wa laa tukh-zinaa bizeeaaratih

17.make us not wretched through entertaining it, degrade us not through its visit,

وَاجْعَلْهُ بَاباً مِنْ أَبْوَابِ مَغْفِرَتِكَ،

waj-a'l-hoo baabam-min ab-waabi magh-firatik

18.and appoint it one of the gates to Your forgiveness

وَمِفْتَاحاً مِنْ مَفَاتِيحِ رَحْمَتِكَ.

wa mif-taah'am-mim-mafaateehee rah'-matik

19.and the keys to Your mercy!

أَمِتْنَا مُهْتَدِينَ غَيْرَ ضَالِّينَ

amit-naa muh-tadeena ghay-ra z''aaal-leen

20.Make us die guided, not astray,

طائِعِينَ غَيْرَ مُسْتَكْرِهِينَ تَائِبينَ غَيْرَ عاصِينَ وَلا مُصِرِّينَ

t'aaa-ie'ena ghay-ra mus-tak-riheen taaa-ibeena ghay-ra a'as'eena wa laa mus'ir-reen

21.obedient, not averse, repentant, not disobedient or persisting,

يَا ضَامِنَ جَزَاءِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ،

yaa z''aamina jazaaa-il-muh'-sineen

22.O He who guarantees the repayment of the good-doers

وَمُسْتَصْلِحَ عَمَلِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ.

wa mus-tas'-lih'a a'malil-muf-sideen

23.and seeks to set right the work of the corrupt!