208 The Lover met a pilgrim who sang: ‘If the love of the Lover suffices not to move his Beloved to pity and pardon, the love of the Beloved is sufficient to give graces and blessings to His creatures.’ 209 ‘Say, O Fool, how canst thou be most like to thy Beloved?’ He replied: ‘By comprehending and loving with all my power the beauties and the perfections of my Beloved.’ 210 They asked the Lover if his Beloved had need of aught. ‘Yea,’ he answered, ‘of those who will love and praise Him, and extol His surpassing worth.’ 211 The Beloved chastened His Lover’s heart with rods of love, to make him love the tree whence He plucks the rods wherewith He chastens His lovers. And this is that tree on which He suffered grief, dishonour and death, that He might bring back to love of Him those lovers whom He had lost. 212 The Lover met his Beloved, who appeared in power and glory, as One worthy of all honour. And he cried: ‘How strange a thing it is that so few among men revere and know and love Thee as Thou deservest!’ And the Beloved answered him and said: ‘Greatly has man grieved Me; for I created him to revere Me, know Me and love Me, and now, of every thousand, but a hundred fear and love Me; and ninety of these hundred fear Me by reason of the pains of hell, and ten love Me for the sake of the glory hereafter; hardly is there one who loves Me for My goodness and nobility.’ When the Lover heard these words, he wept bitterly for the dishonour paid to his Beloved; and he said: ‘Ah, my Beloved, how much hast Thou given to man and how greatly hast Thou honoured him! Why then has man thus forgotten Thee?’ 213 The Lover was praising his Beloved, and he said that He was transcendent because He is in a place where place is not. And therefore, when they asked the Lover where his Beloved was, he replied: ‘He is, but I know not where; I only know that my Beloved is in my remembrance.’ 214 The Beloved bought a slave that He might show him His graces, and made him to suffer griefs and heavy thoughts, sighs and tears. And He asked him: ‘What wilt thou eat and drink?’ The slave replied: ‘What Thou wilt.’ ‘But what wilt thou?’ ‘My will is as Thine.’ ‘Hast thou then no will?’ asked the Beloved. He answered: ‘A subject and a slave has no other will than to obey his Lord and his Beloved.’ 215 The Beloved inquired of His Lover if he had patience. He answered: ‘All things please me, and therefore I cannot but be patient, for he who is no more lord of his will can not be impatient.’ 216 Love gave himself to any who would receive him; and since he gave himself to few and inspired few with love, as he was free and had not been constrained, therefore the Lover cried out on Love, and accused him before the Beloved. But Love made his defence and said: ‘I strive not against free will, for I desire all lovers to have the greatest merit and glory.’