Shams Tabrizi: The Sun and the Moon

Mawlana [Rumi] is the moonlight,
while I am like the Sun.
The eyes can not per­ceive the Sun of my being;
but they can perceive the Moon.
The eyes are not able to endure the Sun,
because of the intensity of its radiance and light,
and the Moon cannot attain the Sun,
unless the Sun attains the Moon.

~Shams-i Tabrizi
(died 1248)

[the authentic sayings of Shams-i Tabrizi,
annotated by Nasir Shamsi, shamsitabriz.net]