The Begging of Ba’utha

In pain and tears and fervent prayer,

we cry to you, good Lord above!

Be our healer and our wise guide:

deep are our wounds; bitter our pain.

We have no right to plead to you:

our faults abound, our malice soars.

The sea and land, and all therein

have quaked and raged due to our sin.

In our own time, as Scripture says,

the end of days has come upon us.

In mercy, save us from distress,

for height and depth have been confused.

O Good Shepherd, come tend your flock,

for whose sake you endured the cross.

 
Make peace for us in Church and world,

that we may live a tranquil life.
 

May we be yours, as is your will:

Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost.
 

Nonetha d-Ba’utha

b-hash-sha w-dim’e wib-nonetha,

k-qarukh illukh Mara tawa.

hwy lan hakkym m-basmana

d-mer-e hash-shan w’siqlih kewan.

d-leban kene tad mar-dha-lukh

‘awlan ‘shin-leh wzid-lay gnahan.

w-yama w-yawsha wkul biryatha

zi’lay sh-ghish-lay ‘al by-sha-than.

bzaw-nan kmil-lah haya kthyw-ta

dhar-theh d-‘alma ‘illan mte-la.

b-rah-mukh mkha-lis-lan m-balaye

dim-bul-bil-lay rawma w-‘umqa.

Ra’ya Tawa, mar`y l-`irwukh

mbeyd talibay hash-sha t`in-nukh.

wmat-wy l-kul-lan b-‘edta w-‘alma

d-khay-ukh ‘umran bshe-na-yutha.

w-hawukh diy-yukh mikh ‘ij-bonukh

Baba wBrona wRuha d-Qudh-sha

First Madrasha/Meditation
 

O our Creator from nothing, do not reject us like nothingness;

for if our faults are many, your grace is overflowing.
 

To the support of your mercy do we beg, All-Merciful One:

open the door to our pleading which knocks at the door of your grace.

Hold back your Justice, O Kind One, lest you be embittered by our malice.

Let your Will’s Love pacify you – as you are accustomed to do.
 

Let your Knowledge not seek after our faults diligently,

nor enter us into examination of the all-searching judgment.

Because the words of our pleading are so short,

and cannot reach the heights above,

extend the hand of your mercy

and through it let our words meet forgiveness.
 

As enormous as our fault is, it is small to your mercy,

and though there is no equal to our wickedness,

it is like a shadow to your grace.

Therefore do not shut the door of the great richness of your mercy,

Second Madrasha/Meditation
 

Accept our pleading, O Good One,

            and our supplication, O Son of the Good One.

We implore in pain and tears – do not turn your eyes from us.
 

Hear, O Lord, the pleading of your adorers,

O Good One who withholds not his grace,

and accept the fruits of our lips, which we offer to your Majesty.

Send us, from your treasury, pity, mercies and salvation

to be for the forgiveness of our sins,

lest we be condemned in the judgment.
 

To you do our souls cry out,

O Good One who is pleased with the repentant.

Open to us, O Lord, the door of your mercies,

for we are knocking, O Pitying One!

Have mercy on, correct and regain,

and abandon not your creature to destruction,

for you are our hope and our glory; turn not away from our pleading.
 

If our malice testifies against us, O Lord,

forgive us for the sake of your Image.

Let not your construction be ruined,

because of your many mercies.

In the beginning, you constituted us in being

by your good and kind command;

may you appease yourself, O Pitying One,

Blessings
 

O you who holds height and depth in the palm of his hand,

[Yes, Lord!] [kneel]

look upon your creation with a kind eye, and have mercy on it.

[Amen.] [stand]
 

O Spring of Life, from whom life flows to mankind,

alleviate the world troubled by its sins by yourself and your mercies.
 

Bless, O Lord, protect, O Lord, and uphold, O Lord,

the great shepherd, the Patriarch, leader of our people.
 

May his prayer be a thurible of incense appeasing your Divinity,

and may the requests of his soul be answered, as you promised.
 

Bless, O Lord, the crown of the year in your grace,

and let the kings of the earth be peaceful in their administration.
 

Bless, O Lord, this country with all blessings,

and shelter its citizens with the wings of your grace.
 

Let them succeed in temporal success,

and grant them what they ask of your Greatness.
 

Protect them in this life at all times,

and let them enjoy all earthly blessings.
 

Bless, O Lord, those who hold the scepter of leadership,

and strengthen their virtues, that they may lead in constancy.
 

Bless, O Lord, all monks and nuns,

and grant them reward for their works in the kingdom above.
 

Bless, O Lord, all priests and deacons,

and elect them, when they stand before you, through their works.
 

Bless, O Lord, all the elderly,

sustain their old age and gladden them in the life to come.
 

Grant to young people to advance well in age,

and to children to extend the years of their lives.
 

Command that clouds rain upon crops,

and let our fields and lands bear fruit through the dew of your mercies.
 

Bless, O Lord, seeds, vineyards and all the fruit of the earth,

and let your servants eat of your goodness and give you praise.

Bless orphans and provide for widows,

for you are the Father of orphans and the Provider.
 

Grant, O Lord, in the mercies that sent you to mankind,

that we not be estranged from the delight of your kingdom.
 

Grant us, O Lord, to sing praise to you at your right hand,

and love you with the just who befriended you.
 

When the trumpet sounds on the day of resurrection,

make us worthy to see you in that blessed kingdom.
 

Then may your mercies be advocates for us on our behalf,

and may not our sins estrange us from you, O Lover of mankind!
 

During that coming, when the splendor of your Divinity will shine,

make us worthy to enter the bedchamber of light with your saints.
 

May the weak one who lovingly said these blessings

be granted your mercies and not be condemned by your Justice.
 

Take his side, O Lord who was crucified for our sake,

and let him not be sent to the outer darkness with the wicked.
 

Let us lift praise to him who raises up his servants at all times,