أَبَحْتُ النَّرْجِسَ الرّقْيَ وُدّي

أَبَحْتُ النَّرْجِسَ الرّقْيَ وُدّي

ومالي بِاجْتِنابِ الوَرْدِ طاقَهْ

ومالي بِاجْتِنابِ الوَرْدِ طاقَهْ

I have granted the narcissus of Raqqa my love,

I plucked the narcissus and the sweet rose,

yet I have no strength to shun the rose.

Why should I avoid the rose in vain?

كِلا الأَخَوَيْنِ مَعْشوقٌ وإِنّي

كِلا الأَخَوَيْنِ مَعْشوقٌ وإِنّي

أَرى التَفْضيلَ بَيْنَهُما حَماقَهْ

أَرى التَفْضيلَ بَيْنَهُما حَماقَهْ

Both brothers are beloved, and indeed I

Both are beloved, and I see

deem it folly to favor one over the other.

Preferring one above the other folly.

هُما في عَسْكَرِ الأَنْوارِ هَذا

هُما في عَسْكَرِ الأَنْوارِ هَذا

مَقْدمة يسيرُ وذاكَ ساقَهْ

مَقْدمة يسيرُ وذاكَ ساقَهْ

They are in the army of flowers: this one

They both belong to the camp of light,

marches as the vanguard, and that one as the rearguard.

One marches at the front, the other behind.