From the ruins of a tattered Sufi

The sound of a dog's bark reached his ear

He thought to himself, why is a dog here?

And then asked, where is the righteous dervish?

He saw no sign of the dog, neither in front nor behind

Except for the Sufi, no one else was seen there

Ashamed, he began to turn back

For he was embarrassed to discuss this mystery

He heard from within the Sufi the sound of footsteps

The Sufi called out, 'Who knocks at the door? Come in!'

Do not think, O my enlightened eye

That it was the dog barking from here, it was I

When I saw that he was buying misery

I cast aside pride, opinion, and intellect

Like a dog, I barked at his door many times

For I saw no one more miserable than the dog

If you wish to reach a high rank

You must ascend through the slope of humility

In this presence, those who took the seat of honor

Were those who humbled their own worth

When the flood came with terror and force

It fell from the height to the depth

Like a dewdrop, it fell, humble and weak

And the affection of the heavens carried it to the mountaintop