On Mercy

1. God has mercy upon sinners

in order that He may bear great love towards His creation

and that man may know Him to be a great bestower.

 

2. God forgives with greatness of goodness,

for which reason justice allows forgiveness <to perform its acts>

and enters into partnership with mercy.

 

3. God entertains such a great desire (lit. “will”) to forgive

that He causes justice to love mercy,

for by virtue of mercy can He save sinners.

 

4. Mercy is mother to <all> sinners

and this mother loves her children on account of the love

they bear towards God the Father, Who shows forgiveness.

 

5. Mercy is a very worthy thing to remember

by means of greatness of understanding and loving,

for it brings hope against sin.

 

6. Whoever fails to entertain any hope in God’s mercy

blasphemes against Him and His great love,

for God is more capable of loving than is man of sinning.

 

7. Mercy is a lady who readily forgives,

for which reason man should love her freedom

so that he may be remembered and loved by her (i.e. mercy)

 

8. Let he who wishes to obtain God’s mercy

be faithful, humble and true (i.e. truthful),

and let him perform as much good as he can.

 

9. It seems to me that someone who fails to carry out all the good that he might do

is not greatly enamoured of forgiving,

upon which person God bestows more than man is able to conceive.

 

10. Alas! When I consider <the fact> that I am a great sinner,

then does it occur to me that I should entertain great love

for God, Who shows such great forgiveness.