If thou art a lover, wash not thy head of the sickness of love; like Sadi, wash thy hands of selfishness.
A devoted lover holds not back his hand from the object of his affections though arrows and stones may rain upon his head.
Be cautious; if thou goest down to the sea, give thyself up to the storm.
CHAPTER IV
CONCERNING HUMILITY
Thou, O creature of God, wast created of the dust; therefore, be humble as the dust. Be not covetous, nor oppressive, nor headstrong. Thou art from the dust; be not like fire. When the terrible fire raised his head in pride, the dust prostrated itself in humility.
And since the fire was arrogant and the dust was meek, from the former were the demons formed, and from the latter mankind.
Story of a Raindrop
A raindrop fell from a spring cloud, and, seeing the wide expanse of the sea, was shamed. “Where the sea is,” it reflected, “where am I? Compared with that, forsooth, I am extinct.”