This prayer was composed by R’ Shlomo Ibn Gabirol.

Our God and God of our fathers!

I am appalled in my great affliction,

for on the day when my sins are reckoned,

what will I plead before my Master?

I am desolate and speechless

when I remember how guilty I am,

I am ashamed and disgraced.

My days are consumed in vanity;

because of the shame of my youth,

there is no peace in my bones,

I am burnt with fever

because the scroll [of my debts] is unfolded,

and the Creditor has come to collect.

I held fast to my darkness,

and my soul did not consider

that I am a stranger and a sojourner here.

Woe unto me when my day comes,

then I will awake from my dream,

and return to my place.

And then for the sins I did,

and the transgression I committed,

what excuse will I offer

to Him [God] Who sent me here?

The evil in my heart enticed me,

and for the iniquity which exhausted me,

I was met from the womb.

The degenerate imagines in his soul

that he is like a tree planted by a brook,

while in fact he is carried to the grave.

A false allusion clings to him,

which melts away on his [final] journey,

and he looks from side to side.

He is cast [into the grave]

like a silent stone,

and carries into the grave nothing

of all that he possessed.

His strength did not support him

even when his soul carried him,

how much less when the fires consume him.

“My iniquity ensnared me,”

behold these are the words of my soul

during my existence on earth.

Therefore my soul is devastated;

and like a man lying in disgrace

I must return there naked.

I was carried away by my sins

while in my heart I called out:

“I have sinned,”

that which is right, I did not desire,

and to the obstinacy of my heart, I clung,

to what avail is my crying now.

Bear the punishment of your guilt, my soul

behold your sin confronts you,

so, therefore, bear your disgrace.

When I am perplexed about my iniquity,

my thoughts say to me [“don’t despair]

for we fall into the hand of Adonoy.”

Turn from the Throne of Your Dwelling,

and open the door for me,

for there is none beside You.

O Rock, shield me,

redeem me from my iniquity

and teach me Your Torah.

Hear my voice according to Your kindness;

and on the day I stand before You

do not turn away Your servant in anger.

See my affliction and answer me;

behold I am in Your hand,

and You Adonoy, be gracious to me.

Send Your truth and Your kindness

to the people [Israel] who cry unto You,

even to me, I am your servant.

Forgive our guilt,

and do not reckon the sins of our youth,

for our days are but a shadow.

Almighty! King!

Who sits on the throne of mercy,

governs with kindness

forgives the iniquities of His people.

He removes their sins one by one,

increasing forgiveness to sinners,

and pardon to transgressors.

Acting righteously

with all who are of flesh and spirit;

not according to their wickedness

does He repay them.

Almighty!

You instructed us to recite

the thirteen Divine attributes;

remember unto us this day

the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

as You made them known

to the humble Moses of old,

as it is written,

“And Adonoy descended in the cloud,

and stood with him there,

and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

Congregation and Chazzan:

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses],

and proclaimed:

Adonoy, Adonoy,

Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

Slow to Anger,

and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

Keeper of kindness

for thousands of generations,

Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

and sin;

and Acquitter of those who repent.

“And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

and take us for Your inheritance.”

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

“For You, my Master,

are good and forgiving,

and abounding in kindness

to all who call upon You.”

Adonoy is great and highly extolled

in the city of our God,

the mountain of His Sanctuary.

Beautiful in its panoramic vista,

the joy of all the earth is Mount Zion,

on the northern edge [of Jerusalem]

the city of the great King.

Do good as You see fit, to Zion,

may You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Turn away Your anger and Your rage

from Your city, Jerusalem,

Your holy mountain.

To recount in Zion, the Name, Adonoy,

and His praise in Jerusalem.

And may Adonoy be pleased

with the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem

as in the days of old and in earlier years.

The builder of Jerusalem is Adonoy,

the banished ones of Israel, He will gather.

For Adonoy will not cast off His people,

and His inheritance, He will not abandon.

As a father has compassion on his children

so do You have compassion on us, Adonoy.

Deliverance is Adonoy’s;

upon Your people is Your blessing. Selah!

Adonoy of Hosts is with us,

a stronghold for us is the God of Jacob. Selah!

Adonoy of Hosts!

fortunate is the man who trusts in You.

Adonoy, deliver us;

the King will answer us on the day we call.

“Please pardon the sins of this nation

in accordance with the greatness

of Your lovingkindness;

and as You forgave this people

from when it left Egypt until now.”

And there it is said:

“And Adonoy said,

I have pardoned [them] as you have asked.”

Incline Your ear, my God, and hear,

open Your eyes and behold our desolate places,

and the city which is called by Your Name;

for it is not on account of our righteousness

that we let fall our supplication before You,

but because of Your great mercy.

My Master, hear! My Master, pardon!

My Master, listen and take action,

do not delay!

For Your sake, my God,

because Your Name is proclaimed

over Your city and over Your people.