عابوه إذ نبت العذار بخدّه

عابوه إذ نبت العذار بخدّه

وتمايلت أعطافه عن قدّه

وتمايلت أعطافه عن قدّه

They faulted him when sideburns sprouted on his cheek,

They chided him when downy hair sprouted on his cheek

And his sides swayed away from his upright form.

And his shoulders swayed away from his frame

فاجبتهم تمت محاسن وجهه

فاجبتهم تمت محاسن وجهه

بعذاره متميّزاً عن ضدّه

بعذاره متميّزاً عن ضدّه

So I answered them: his face's charms were perfected

So I replied his handsome face was enhanced

By his sideburns, setting him apart from his opposite.

By the down, distinct from its counterpart

فكأن حمرة خدّه وبياضه

فكأن حمرة خدّه وبياضه

وسواد شعر عذاره في خدّه

وسواد شعر عذاره في خدّه

So it is as though his cheek's redness and whiteness,

As if the redness of his cheek and its whiteness

And the blackness of his sideburn hair upon his cheek,

And the blackness of the down's hair on his cheek

ورد جرت فيه غوالي مسكه

ورد جرت فيه غوالي مسكه

فجرى مسيل سواده في ورده

فجرى مسيل سواده في ورده

Were a rose through which the rich perfumes of his musk flowed,

Were a rose imbued with the nectar of musk

So a stream of its blackness ran through his rose.

So the outflow of its blackness ran into the rose