Classic Poem

Repentant am I of my sins, O God!
Ashamed of all I have committed.
Disgrace me not now that my beard is white,
Though when my hair was black sinful was my nature.
Give me now the power and grace for prayer,
No hope have I but in thy mercy and compassion;
From thee ever proceedeth favour and pity,
Tortured am I now at the thought of my offences.
The world is not acquainted with the nature of my actions,
It is I alone that know what my deeds have been.
No Jew or Infidel is there whose behaviour is so vile
As I know myself to have been in word and deed.
The Hindoo even rises at midnight for adoration,
Yet feebler am I than he in the practice of devotion.
With a thousand other thoughts in my heart I bend my knee in prayer:
All through my life it is thus my devotions have been said,
Naught have I gained by worship, nor yet by pious actions:
In those I could not avoid how listless have I been.
I have never cared for right or wrong so that it pleased me.
When have I had concern for the lawfulness of my food?
Many are they whom I have consigned to the grave,
Even now am I eager to slay yet more.
My passions make right wrong and wrong right to me,
I remain ever helpless against their promptings.
My nature is as that of the seventy-two heresies from the Faith,
Though in my professions I am of the band of the True Believers.
In the torrents of my lusts I plunge myself,
In the fortress of desire have I myself secured.
If in observance of rites consist true Muhammadanism,
Happy for me, for then perchance I am a good Mussulman.
Satan and my passions are in ambush at every breath,
Till my last breath shall I ever remain in terror of them.
My virtues scarce as gold, my vices are like pebbles;
Black dust upon my head, what though some gold is mine?
The faith of his own chosen has God bestowed upon me.
However much in practice of my deeds I am ashamed.
Whatever messengers or books have come from Heaven,
With all the prophets I agree to them.
He who produced both worlds is without associate,
Firm is my faith in that article of belief.
Convinced am I there will be a Day of Judgment,
I know well that from Thee comes good and bad.
After death comes life for human creatures;
On all these points from heresy I am free.
My prophet is Mahomed, son of Abdullah,
Devoted am I to his Companions and four friends.
The Imams of the desert all were in their rights
Until the Mahdi comes, of all I am the servant.
They who are the enemies of his Companions and offspring,
Root and branch am I prepared to destroy them with the sword.
The masters of the religion are four, they are not five.
A Hanafi of the Suni faith I am in my belief,
I cannot bear Thy punishments, pardon me!
To Thy threshold have I come, and there I wait.
What though I am full of sin and swollen with pride?
Of Him whose attribute is mercy am I, Khush-hal the slave.