As soon as the thought of taunting them about meeting the rival stirred in my heart, excuses began to flow from their tongue.

This couplet captures the psychology of a guilty conscience with gentle irony. The lover had not even spoken a word of reproach about the beloved meeting the rival—the thought was merely stirring silently in his heart. Yet, sensing the unspoken grievance, the beloved hurriedly begins offering preemptive excuses, betraying their own guilt before an accusation is even made.