The following poem by the 13th century Sufi Fakhruddin Iraqi speaks of the inversion encountered on the mystical path, in which those who follow the hard road to God are less than dust; even the earth may complain of being soiled by them. For more about Iraqi, see this earlier post.

When I kissed the earth in supplication
A cry came forth from the earth:
You have stained my face
With this supplication of lies!

O unfortunate I that did not have the fate
Of your enemy’s life,
As your friend I bow my head
To feel the blow of your knife!

When I visited the gambling den
I saw kind and truthful men.
When I visited the mosque and temple
I got nothing but deceit!

Tr. Mahmood Jamal