be alert to a gift of honor after it; for He is not the King to slap you without giving you a crown and a throne on which to rest. The whole world is worth only a gnat's wing, but a single slap may bring an infinite reward. Slip your neck nimbly out of this golden collar that is the world, and take the slaps that come from God. The prophets suffered those blows on the neck, and from that affliction they lifted their heads high. But always be present, attentive, and ready in yourself, youthful one, in order that He may find you at home. Otherwise He will take back His gift of honor, saying "I found no one there."
-- Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
Mathnawi VI: 1638-1643
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
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