I am not the man you think you know, you think you see.
Even if you could see, you wouldn’t recognize me.
You are unable to see anything but images,
because you are asleep, confused.
Ask me how I am with “few” and “many.”
I am just like Joseph in the hands of a blind one.
The face of soul’s Joseph can only see with Love’s eye.
You don’t have this.
You are a man of illusions and comparisons.
Know this very well: The function of eye and sight is to praise and give thanks to God.
Don’t run away from the crucible like false gold, like false silver.
You are a mine of thanks and praise.
If you are afraid of the crucible, you will always worship images.
You cut and chip into shape the idols of your imagination.
Then, you become scared of them.
Once you have made a new idol in your imagination,
you put it in front of yourself and worship it.
You become the prisoner of idols like a non-believer.
Every image is born from you.
You are the one who then chips and cuts each one.
You are the one who perfects each idol.
You are surely not the Moon. You are dust, copper, not gold.
O body, really, all the same, I swear by the souls of saints
that you are an ox to be used for crops
under the sky which turns like a water wheel.
But, if you can get your head and neck out of the yoke of the sky,
you will be free from the donkey herd.
You will become an angel.
You will become a Man.
Divan-i Kebir, Meter 7b, Gazel 249, Verses 3246-3254, Pages 259-260.