قال النصوح كتمت الحب تحت خفا

سر الضمير ولم تجزع من الألم

The sincere adviser said, “You hid love beneath the cover

of the heart’s secret, and did not grow distraught with pain.

فقام بينة من عين مضمره

به عليك عدول الدمع والسقم

So, as evidence, from its concealer’s eye arose

against you concerning it the upright witnesses: tears and sickness.

وقد نقشت بأقلام الغرام به

مثل البهار على خديك والعنم

And through it, with the pens of passion, you have traced

upon your cheeks the likeness of yellow bahār flowers and red ʿanam shoots.”

فقلت ما الكتم والآثار ظاهرة

ظهور نار القرى ليلاً على علم

So I said, “What concealment, when the signs are plain,

as plain as a fire lit for guests at night upon a hill?

فلا حقائق ما أكننت خافية

عن الوشاة ولا دائي بمنحسم

So the truths of what I concealed are not hidden

from the talebearers, nor is my ailment ended.

لكن كتمي كف العادلين بهم

إن المحب عن العذال في صمم

But my concealment is to curb those who equate others with them;

indeed, the lover is deaf to the reproachers.

جعلت ذرعي وذخري في محبتهم

محمداً وهو أوفى الخلق بالذمم

As my strength and treasure in loving them, I have taken

Muhammad, the most faithful of all creation to his pledges.”