The lover who saw a blemish in his beloved’s eye

"The Portrait of Beatrice di Cenci"attributed to Guido Reni

A lion-hearted hero met defeat --
Five years he loved, and slavery was sweet.
The girl for whom he was content to sigh
Had one small blemish lurking in her eye,
And though, as often as she would permit,
He gazed at her he never noticed it.
(How could a man possessed by frenzy see
This unimportant, faint deformity?)
Then imperceptibly love ceased to reign;
A balm was found to ease his aching pain --
The girl and all her blandishments
Became a matter of indifference;
And now the blemish in her eye was clear --
He asked her: ‘When did that white speck appear?’
She answered: ‘As your love began to die,
This speck was brought to being in my eye.’
How long will others’ faults distract your mind?
Your own accuse you, but your heart is blind.
Your sins are heavy, and while they are there,
Another’s guilt is none of your affair.

--- Farid ud-din Attar
Translated by Afham Darbandi and Dick Davis