كَتَمتُ حُبُّكِ حَتّى مِنكِ تَكرِمَةً

ثُمَّ اِستَوى فيكِ إِسراري وَإِعلاني

I kept my love for you a secret even from you as a courtesy

I concealed my love—even from you—out of reverence,

Then my secret and my declaration became equal in you

Then my silence and my declaration became one regarding you,

كَأَنَّهُ زادَ حَتّى فاضَ مِن جَسَدي

فَصارَ سُقمي بِهِ في جِسمِ كِتماني

As if it had increased until it overflowed from my body

As though it surged until it overflowed the limits of my body,

So my sickness with it became in the body of my silence

And my sickness became the very substance of my secret.