The story of what passed between the grammarian and the boatman.
A certain grammarian embarked in a boat. That self-conceited person turned to the boatman
And said, “Have you ever studied grammar?” “No,” he replied. The other said, “Half your life is gone to naught.”
The boatman became heart-broken with grief, but at the time he refrained from answering.
The wind cast the boat into a whirlpool: the boatman spoke loud (shouted) to the grammarian,
“Tell me, do you know how to swim?” “No,” said he, “O fair-spoken good-looking man!”
“O grammarian,” said he, “your whole life is naught, because the boat is sinking in these whirlpools.”
Know that here mahw (self-effacement) is needed, not nah? (grammar): if you are mahw (dead to self), plunge into the sea without peril.
The water of the sea places the dead one on its head (causes him to float on the surface); but if he be living, how shall he escape from the sea?
Inasmuch as you have died to the attributes of the flesh, the Sea of (Divine) consciousness will place you on the crown of its head (will raise you to honour).
(But) O thou who hast called the people asses, at this time thou art left (floundering), like an ass, upon this ice.
If in the world thou art the most learned scholar of the time, behold the passing away of this world and this time!
We have stitched in (inserted) the (story of the) grammarian, that we might teach you the grammar (nahw) of self-effacement (mahw).
In self-loss, O venerated friend, thou wilt find the jurisprudence of jurisprudence, the grammar of grammar, and the accidence of accidence.
That jug of water is (an emblem of) our different sorts of knowledge, and the Caliph is the Tigris of God's knowledge.
We are carrying jugs full (of water) to the Tigris: if we do not know ourselves to be asses, asses we are.
After all, the Bedouin was excusable, for he was ignorant of the Tigris and of the (great) river.
If he had been acquainted with the Tigris, as we are, he would not have carried that jug from place to place;
Nay, had he been aware of the Tigris, he would have dashed that jug against a stone.
