When it is recited
Short and heartfelt
What it means
Three words, and the shortest form in the library: Rabbi, “my Lord”; ighfir, the imperative of that same gh‑f‑r root — cover it, forgive it; and lī, “for me.” It is direct address rather than description, with nothing between the asking and the One asked. There is no phrasing to memorise beyond the words themselves.