وفي النفس حاجات وفيك فطانة – المتنبي

Poem Translation:

I find a restful joy when thou art near,
Though nearness wears the cloak of distance drear.
What gain if veils are lifted from our gaze,
Yet hopes I cherished still must pass in haze?
My greeting short, lest burden touch thy grace,
My silence guards the words I dare not place.
Yet though I speak no wish, thy mind is keen—
My hush proclaims what speech has never seen.

Poem Explanation:

These verses from Al-Mutanabbi depict a lover who is close to his beloved in body, yet distanced emotionally. He navigates the tension of longing without expression, holding back his feelings out of discretion and pride. His reduced greetings and intentional silence are not signs of coldness, but of deep emotion too delicate to be spoken. The poem ends with a profound notion: that true understanding needs no words, and that silence can be more eloquent than speech when love is subtle and minds are sharp.