بِذاتِ الأَضا وَالمَأزَمَينِ وَبارِقٍ

بِذاتِ الأَضا وَالمَأزَمَينِ وَبارِقٍ

وَذي سَلَمٍ وَالأَبرَقَينِ لِطارِقِ

وَذي سَلَمٍ وَالأَبرَقَينِ لِطارِقِ

At Dhāt al-Aḍā, al-Maʾzimayn, and Bāriq,

At Dhāt al-Aḍā, al-Maʾzamayn, and Bāriq,

And Dhū Salam and al-Abraqayn, there await the night-comer

and Dhū Salam and al-Abraqayn, for a visitor by night,

بُروقُ سُيوفٍ مِن بُروقِ مَباسِمٍ

بُروقُ سُيوفٍ مِن بُروقِ مَباسِمٍ

نَوافِجُ مِسكٍ ما أُبيحَت لِناشِقِ

نَوافِجُ مِسكٍ ما أُبيحَت لِناشِقِ

Flashes of swords born from the lightning-flashes of smiles,

are flashes of swords from the gleams of smiling mouths,

And wafts of musk never granted to one who would breathe them in.

musk-pods not made available to one who would inhale their scent.

فَإِن حورِبوا سَلَّوا سُيوفَ لِحاظِهِم

فَإِن حورِبوا سَلَّوا سُيوفَ لِحاظِهِم

وَإِن سَلَّموا هَدّوا عُقودَ المَضايِقِ

وَإِن سَلَّموا هَدّوا عُقودَ المَضايِقِ

If war is made on them, they draw the swords of their glances;

So if war is waged against them, they unsheathe the swords of their glances;

And if they offer peace, they tear down the knots of the narrow passes.

and if they offer peace, they shatter the bonds of constraint.

فَنالوا وَنِلنا لَذَّتَينِ تَساوَيا

فَنالوا وَنِلنا لَذَّتَينِ تَساوَيا

فَمُلكٌ لِمَعشوقٍ وَمُلكٌ لِعاشِقِ

فَمُلكٌ لِمَعشوقٍ وَمُلكٌ لِعاشِقِ

Thus they attained, and we attained, two pleasures equal in measure:

So they gained, and we gained, two delights; the two were equal:

Dominion for the beloved, and dominion for the lover.

thus a beloved has dominion, and a lover has dominion.