I saw a learned man who had become infatuated with someone, and his secret had become public. He endured great suffering and showed boundless patience.
One day, with kindness, I said to him: "I know that your attachment to this person is without any deeper cause and that the foundation of this love is not based on any fault of yours. Yet, with such dignity and wisdom, it is not befitting for someone of your rank to subject yourself to accusations and endure the cruelty of the disrespectful."
He replied: "My friend, spare me from reproaching my fate. Many times, I have thought about the advice you offer, but enduring his cruelty is easier for me than enduring his absence. The wise say: It is easier to commit one’s heart to hardship than to avert one’s eyes from the beloved."
Whoever cannot live without the beloved,
Must endure any cruelty from them.
One day, I begged him to spare me his harshness,
And from that day, I have sought forgiveness for even asking.
A friend does not seek refuge from a friend,
I have resigned myself to whatever pleases him.
Whether he calls me to him with kindness,
Or drives me away in anger, he knows best.
