M5:3987 — چون بپوشیدی سبب را ز اعتبار / دایما آن جرم را پوشیده دار

This couplet comes from a section where Rumi is discussing the nature of suffering and its connection to one's actions. The preceding verses establish that pain and sorrow are often the result of one's own transgressions, even if the specific sin is unknown to the individual. The speaker is urged to seek forgiveness and acknowledge that their suffering is deserved, even if the exact 'crime' remains obscure to them.

Here, the advice shifts: if the cause (سبب) of one's suffering—which is implicitly an 'offense' (جرم)—has been kept private, then one should maintain that secrecy. The context suggests a situation where revealing the offense might lead to further complications or public shame, as implied by the following verse (M5:3988), which speaks of 'punishment' and 'theft being revealed'. Rumi is not advocating for dishonesty, but rather for a pragmatic approach to personal failings that have already been discreetly managed. It's about preserving one's dignity and avoiding unnecessary exposure when the internal work of repentance is already underway. The emphasis is on the individual's internal accountability to God, rather than external judgment.