دَعاinvoked المحرَمونَthe pilgrims in ihram اللَهَGod يَستَغفِرونَهُthey seek His forgiveness
دَعا المحرَمونَ اللَهَ يَستَغفِرونَهُ
بِمَكَّةin Mecca يَوماًone day اِنthat يُمحىbe erased ذُنوبهاher sins
بِمَكَّة يَوماً اِن يُمحى ذُنوبها
The pilgrims invoked God, asking His forgiveness
The pilgrims called on Allah, begging His forgiveness
in Mecca one day, that her sins might be erased.
In Mecca one day that He may wipe out her sins
وَنادَيتand I cried out ياO رَبّاهmy Lord أولthe first سؤلَتيmy request
وَنادَيت يا رَبّاه أول سؤلَتي
لِنَفسيfor myself لَيلىLayla ثُمَّthen أنتَYou حسيبُهاher reckoner
لِنَفسي لَيلى ثُمَّ أنتَ حسيبُها
And I cried, “O my Lord, my first request
And I called out: "O Lord, my first request
for myself is Layla; then You are her judge.
Is for Layla, then You are her guardian."
فَإنso if أعطI am granted لَيلىLayla فيin حَياتيmy lifetime لَمdid not يَتُبrepent
فَإن أعط لَيلى في حَياتي لَم يَتُب
إِلىto اللَّهِGod عَبدٌa servant تَوبَةa repentance لاnot أَتوبُهاI offer that repentance
إِلى اللَّهِ عَبدٌ تَوبَة لا أَتوبُها
If I am granted Layla in my lifetime, never will
For if I gain Layla in my life, never
a servant repent to God with a repentance I will not offer.”
Would a servant turn to God in repentance as I repent.
أهابُكI hold you in awe إجلالاًout of reverence وَماand not بِكَin you قُدرَةpower
أهابُك إجلالاً وَما بِكَ قُدرَة
عَليَّover me وَلكِنand yet مِلءُthe fullness عَينthe eye حَبيبِهاher beloved
عَليَّ وَلكِن مِلءُ عَين حَبيبِها
I hold you in awe out of reverence—not because you have power
I shy from You in reverence, and I have no
over me, but because you fill your lover’s eye.
Power over You, but to please my beloved.
وَماand not هَجَرتُكَforsook you النَفسthe soul ياO لَيلLayl, shortened from Layla إِنَّهاbecause it
وَما هَجَرتُكَ النَفس يا لَيل إِنَّها
قلتكit hated you وَلكِنand yet قلَّdwindled مِنكَof you نَصيبُهاits share
قلتك وَلكِن قلَّ مِنكَ نَصيبُها
My soul did not abandon you, O Layl, because it
And my soul did not abandon You, O night, but
hated you; rather, its share of you dwindled.
Your share of her grew less though she still loves you.
وَلكِنَّهُمand yet they ياO املَحfairest الناسِof people اولَعواbecame obsessed
وَلكِنَّهُم يا املَح الناسِ اولَعوا
بِقَولwith saying اِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle جِئتَyou came هذاthis حَبيبُهاher beloved
بِقَول اِذا ما جِئتَ هذا حَبيبُها
But they, O fairest of people, became obsessed
Yet they—O night of union—are obsessed
with saying, whenever you came, “This is her lover.”
With saying "When you come, here is her lover."
وَهلand can? مِثلlike لَيلاتِnights لَهُنfor them رَواجِعreturning
وَهل مِثل لَيلاتِ لَهُن رَواجِع
الَيناto us وَأَيّامُand days تَحَوَّلpassed away طيبُهاtheir sweetness
الَينا وَأَيّامُ تَحَوَّل طيبُها
And can nights like those ever return
Are there nights like ours, with their returns
to us, and days whose sweetness has passed away?
To us, and days of sweetness transformed?
إِذاwhen هِيshe وَأَهلand the people of العامِرِيَّةal-ʿĀmiriyya جيرَةneighbors
إِذا هِي وَأَهل العامِرِيَّة جيرَة
بِحَيثُat the place where النَقاthe sand ridge هضبhills السَرىal-Sarā وَكَثيبُهاand its dune
بِحَيثُ النَقا هضب السَرى وَكَثيبُها
When she and al-ʿĀmiriyya’s people were neighbors
When she and the folk of al-‘Amriya were neighbors,
where the sand ridge, al-Sarā’s hills, and its dune lie;
Where an-Naqa, its ridge adjacent her dune.
إِذاwhen لَمdid not تَعدbecome امواهُwaters جزعthe valley-bend of سُوَيقَةSuwayqa
إِذا لَم تَعد امواهُ جزع سُوَيقَة
بِحاراseas وَلَمand did not يَحذرfear عَلَيهاfor her خَصيبُهاher Khaṣīb
بِحارا وَلَم يَحذر عَلَيها خَصيبُها
when the waters of Suwayqa’s valley-bend had not yet become
When her waters no longer mourned Suwaqa
seas, and her Khaṣīb had not yet feared for her;
As a sea, nor did its banks there fear a flood.
إِذاwhen لَمdid not تُرِبyou have misgivings فيabout امUmm, mother of عمروʿAmr وَلَمand did not تُرِبgrow suspicious
إِذا لَم تُرِب في ام عمرو وَلَم تُرِب
عُيونeyes أُناسpeople كُنتyou were بَعدafterward تَريبهاyou arouse their suspicion
عُيون أُناس كُنت بَعد تَريبها
when you had no misgivings about Umm ʿAmr, nor did
When she was not raised in Umm ‘Amr’s care, nor raised
the eyes of people you later made suspicious harbor doubt.
Among folk whose eyes I'd guard against her harm.
وَاِمسَتand she has become تَبَغّانيshe pursues me بِجُرمfor an offense كَأَنَّهاas though she
وَاِمسَت تَبَغّاني بِجُرم كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen عَلَّمتshe made known ذَنبيmy sin تَمحىare erased ذُنوبِهاher sins
إِذا عَلَّمت ذَنبي تَمحى ذُنوبِها
And she now pursues me for an offense, as though
She accused me of a crime as though she
when she makes my sin known, her sins are erased.
Would, in naming my sin, absolve her own.
Sol 6.1