قدindeed خطَّinscribed ياقوتُYaqut خَدbeginning of ‘cheek’
قد خطَّ ياقوتُ خَد
دَcompletion of ‘cheek’ الحبيبِof the beloved بالمِسْكِwith musk لامهhis letter lām
دَ الحبيبِ بالمِسْكِ لامه
Yaqut has inscribed upon the chee-
Yaqut traced the cheek
-k of the beloved his lām in musk.
Of the beloved with musk, not blame
فزادَso he grew حسْناًin beauty واكand spared (continued)
فزادَ حسْناً واك
فىcompletion of ‘spared’ المحبّthe lover منwhoever فيهon his account لامهblamed him
فى المحبّ من فيه لامه
So he grew fairer and spar-
So it increased in beauty and how it shone!
-ed the lover those who blamed him on his account,
For in the lover is no blame.
مُذْsince بالعذارwith cheek-down كساclothed بحرthe sea
مُذْ بالعذار كسا بحر
عنبرambergris الخالof the mole لامهhis letter lām
عنبر الخال لامه
since, with cheek-down, he clothed the sea
Since he clothed the sea of passion
of the mole’s ambergris in his lām.
With the ambergris of his cheek, no blame.