وكان غريبَ الحُسنَ قبل عِذاره

وكان غريبَ الحُسنَ قبل عِذاره

فلمّا بدا صار الغَريبَ المُصنَّفا

فلمّا بدا صار الغَريبَ المُصنَّفا

And he was of rare beauty before his cheek-down;

He was of strange beauty before his excuse

but when it appeared, he became ‘The Compiled Rarity.’

But when it appeared, the stranger became the author