enemies, who have broken Thy Covenant, who have cast away Thy Book,
disbelieved in Thee, and repudiated Thy signs. Alas, alas, for my
waywardness, and my shame, and my sinfulness, and my wrong-doing that have
withheld me from the depths of the ocean of Thy unity and from fathoming
the sea of Thy mercy. Wherefore, alas, alas! and again alas, alas! for my
wretchedness and the grievousness of my transgressions! Thou didst call me
into being, O my God, to exalt Thy Word, and to manifest Thy Cause. My
heedlessness, however, hath deterred me and compassed me about, in such
wise that I have arisen to blot out Thy signs, and to shed the blood of
Thy loved ones, and of the dawning-places of Thy signs, and of the
daysprings of Thy revelation, and of the repositories of Thy mysteries.

"O Lord, my Lord! and again, O Lord, my Lord! and yet again, O Lord, my
Lord! I bear witness that by reason of mine iniquity the fruits of the
tree of Thy justice have fallen, and through the fire of my rebelliousness
the hearts of such of Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee were
consumed, and the souls of the sincere among Thy servants have melted. O
wretched, wretched that I am! O the cruelties, the glaring cruelties, I
inflicted! Woe is me, woe is me, for my remoteness from Thee, and for my
waywardness, and mine ignorance, and my baseness, and my repudiation of
Thee, and my protests against Thee! How many the days during which Thou
didst bid Thy servants and Thy loved ones to protect me, whilst I
commanded them to harm Thee and to harm them that Thou didst trust! And
how numerous the nights during which Thou didst graciously remember me,
and didst show me Thy path, whilst I turned away from Thee and from Thy
signs! By Thy glory! O Thou Who art the Hope of such as have acknowledged
Thy unity, and the Desire of the hearts of them that are rid of all
attachment to any save Thee! I find no succorer except Thee, nor king, nor
refuge, nor haven besides Thyself. Alas, alas! My turning away from Thee
hath burnt up the veil of mine integrity, and my denial of Thee hath rent