“Drunkards vaunt their bravery when you speak of war.
But in the blaze of battle they scatter like mice.
I'm astonished by the man who wants purity
And yet trembles when the harshness of polishing begin…
When a man beats a carpet again and again
It's not the carpet he's attacking, but the dirt in it.”

— Rumi , Masnavi

Mathnawi
Teachings of Rumi (1999)
Context: "There's no courage", The Prophet said, "before the war has begun."
Drunkards vaunt their bravery when you speak of war.
But in the blaze of battle they scatter like mice.
I'm astonished by the man who wants purity
And yet trembles when the harshness of polishing begin...
When a man beats a carpet again and again
It's not the carpet he's attacking, but the dirt in it.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 14, 2021. History

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Rumi 148

Iranian poet 1207–1273

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