congregation

On one occasion, at the metropolitan mosque of Balbuk, I was holding forth, by way of admonition to a congregation cold and dead at heart, and not to be moved from the materialism of this world into the paths of mysticism. I perceived that the spirit of my discourse was making no impression, nor were the sparks of my enthusiasm likely to strike fire into their humid wood. I grew weary of instructing brutes, and of holding up a mirror to an assembly of the blind; but the door of exposition was thrown open, and the chain of argument extended; and in explanation of this text in the Qur'an, "We are nearer to him (God) than the vein of his neck"---I had reached that passage of my sermon where I thus express myself: "Such a mistress as is closer to me in her affection than I am to myself, but this is marvelous that I am estranged from her. What shall I say, and to whom can I tell it, that she lies on my bosom and I am alienated from her." The intoxicating spirit of this discourse ran into my head, and the dregs of the cup still rested in my hand, when a traveler, as passing by, entered the outer circle of the congregation, and its expiring undulation lit upon him. He sent forth such a groan that the others in sympathy with him joined in lamentation, and the rawest of the assembly bubbled in unison. I exclaimed, "Praise be to God! those far off are present in their knowledge, and those near by are distant from their ignorance. If the hearer has not the faculty of comprehending the sermon, expect not the vigor of genius in the preacher. Give a scope to the field of inclination, that the orator may have room to strike the ball of eloquence over it." In short, the good fortune of his many years of sanctity ran to waste, as has been said:— "Whatever he had laid up from theologician, sage, or saint, or of recondite knowledge from the eloquent and pure of spirit, now that he had stooped to mix with a vile world, like the feet of a fly he got entangled in its honey."

Saadi, Gulistan