326 The Lover made his bed between trials and joys: in joys he lay down to sleep and in trials he awakened. Which of these two, think you, was nearer to the bed of the Lover?
327 In anger the Lover lay down to sleep, resenting the revilings of men; in patience he awakened, remembering his Beloved. Which, think you, did the Lover feel the more deeply—the love of his Beloved or the scorn of men?
328 The Lover thought upon death, and he was afraid, until he remembered the city of his Beloved, to which love and death are the gates and the entrance.
329 Two men were disputing concerning simplicity, the one against the other. And the one said: ‘The simple man is he who knows nothing.’ The other said: ‘The simple man is he who lives without sin.’ And the Lover came and said: ‘True simplicity has he who commits all his ways to my Beloved.’
330 ‘For simplicity is to exalt faith above understanding, which it so far exceeds, and in all that pertains to my Beloved it is to avoid completely all things vain, superfluous, curious, over-subtle and presumptuous. For all these are contrary to simplicity.’
331 Another time they both inquired of him, asking that he would tell them if the science of the simple is a great one. He answered: ‘The science of great sages is as a great heap of a few grains, but the science of the simple is a small heap of numberless grains, because neither presumption nor curiosity nor over-subtlety are added to the heap of simple men.’ ‘And what is the work of presumption and curiosity?’ The Lover replied: ‘Vanity is the mother of curiosity, and pride is the mother of presumption, and therefore is their work the work of vanity and pride. And the enemies of my Beloved are known by presumption and curiosity, even as love for Him is acquired by simplicity.’
332 The Lover lost a jewel which he greatly prized, and was sorely distressed, until his Beloved put to him this question: ‘Which profiteth thee more, the jewel that thou hadst or thy patience in all the acts of thy Beloved?’
333 Many lovers came together, and they asked Love’s messenger where and in what thing the heart was most ardently inflamed with devotion and love. Love’s messenger answered: ‘In the House of God, when we humble ourselves and adore Him with all our powers; for He alone is Holiest of the holy. And those that know not how to do this, know not what it is truly to love Him.’
334 The Lover thought upon his sins, and for fear of hell he would fain have wept, but he could not. So he begged Love to give him tears, and Wisdom answered that he must weep earnestly and often, but for the love of his Beloved rather than for the pains of hell; for tears of love are more pleasing to Him than tears shed through fear.
335 The Lover obeyed Wisdom; and, on the one hand, he shed many and great tears for love’s sake, and, on the other, few and small tears for fear, that by love and not by fear he might honour his Beloved. And the tears which he shed for love brought him solace and rest, while the tears of fear gave him sorrow and tribulation.