عَلى خَدِّهِ القاني لَقَد كَتَبَ البها

عَلى خَدِّهِ القاني لَقَد كَتَبَ البها

سُطورَ عِذار غِبت فيها عَنِ الحسِّ

سُطورَ عِذار غِبت فيها عَنِ الحسِّ

Upon his crimson cheek, beauty has indeed written

Upon his cheek the critic wrote reproach,

Lines of cheek-down, in which I lost all sense.

Lines of blame since I was absent from perception,

عَلى خَدِّهِ خافَ البها أَعين الوَرى

عَلى خَدِّهِ خافَ البها أَعين الوَرى

فَخَطّ بِهِ مِن مِسكهِ آيةَ الكرسي

فَخَطّ بِهِ مِن مِسكهِ آيةَ الكرسي

Upon his cheek, beauty feared the eyes of humankind,

Upon his cheek he feared the eyes of creation,

So it inscribed there, with its musk, the Verse of the Throne.

So he inscribed with his musk the verse of the Throne.