How the water cleanses all impurities and then is cleansed of impurity by God most High. Verily, God most High is exceeding holy.

When the water had done battle (in its task of ablution) and had been made dirty and had become such that the senses rejected it,

God brought it back into the sea of Goodness, that the Origin of the water might generously wash it (clean).

Next year it came sweeping proudly along. “Hey, where hast thou been?” “In the sea of the pure.

I went from here dirty; I have come (back) clean. I have received a robe of honour, I have come to the earth (again).

Hark, come unto me, O ye polluted ones, for my nature hath partaken of the nature of God.

I will accept all thy foulness: I will bestow on the demon purity like (that of) the angel.

When I become defiled, I will return thither: I will go to the Source of the source of purities.

There I will pull the filthy cloak off my head: He will give me a clean robe once more.

Such is His work, and my work is the same: the Lord of all created beings is the beautifier of the world.”

Were it not for these impurities of ours, how would the water have this glory?

It stole purses of gold from a certain One: (then) it runs in every direction, crying, “Where is an insolvent?”

Either it sheds (the treasure) on a blade of grass that has grown, or it washes the face of one whose face is unwashed,

Or, porter-like, it takes on its head (surface) the ship that is without hand or foot (helplessly tossing) in the seas.

Hidden in it are myriads of salves, because every salve derives from it its nature and property.

The soul of every pearl, the heart of every grain, goes into the river (for healing) as (into) a shop of salves.

From it (comes) nourishment to the orphans of the earth; from it (comes) movement (growth) to them that are tied fast, the parched ones.

When its stock (of spiritual grace) is exhausted, it becomes turbid: it becomes abject on the earth, as we are.