He who is perfect in the Path of Faith
Will never be deceived by Adam’s clay:
He will always see the Light in Adam –
Its brilliance will not remain a secret.
In stone, wood, straw, or mountain
He will at all times see nothing but God.
Didn’t Bayazid himself see God in all things?
He saw the Face of God in the tiniest leaf.
The world is never far from Him:
Could its perfume stray far from the rosegarden?
He who is deprived of the sense of smell
Cannot distinguish fragrances
Just as the stream-bed isn’t conscious
Of the water always flowing through it.
If I revealed any more about these things
The two worlds would disappear
And I would become His enemy
And he would light a fire in my soul and body.
From: Perfume of the Desert – Inspirations from Sufi Wisdom
Edited: Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut