[Sunlight] When did water ever fear fire?

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What is evil?
The needy, base metal.
Who is the shaykh?
The infinite elixir.
Though the copper proves untransmutable,
still the elixir never becomes copper.
What is evil? A fiery rebel.
Who is the shaykh? The sea of eternity.
Fire is always afraid of water,
but when did water ever fear being set aflame?

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Bad cheh bâshad mes-e mohtâj-e mohân
shaykh keh bovad kimiyâ-ye bi karân
Mes agar az kimiyâ qâbel na-bod
kimiyâ az mes hargez mes na-shod
Bad cheh bâshad sarkashi âtesh `amal
shaykh keh bovad `ayn-e daryâ-ye azal
Dâyem âtesh-râ be-tarsânand ze âb
âb kay tarsid hargez ze eltehâb

-- Mathnawi II: 3343-3346
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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[Sunlight] When did water ever fear fire?