A third bird said to the hoopoe: “I am covered with faults: how, then, can I set out? Will the fly, which is wholly soiled, be worthy of the Simurgh in the Caucasus? He who, led astray by sin, turns his head from the spiritual path—how can he draw near to the king?”
The hoopoe replied: “O heedless bird! do not despair; ask for grace and eternal favour. If you cast your shield so easily away from you, O ignorant one, your task will be difficult. If your repentance were not accepted, would the fall that gives rise to it be of any use? When you have sinned, the door of repentance remains open. Do penance, therefore, for this door will not be closed to you. Provided that you enter this path with sincerity, victory will be easy for you.”
The hoopoe replied: “O heedless bird! do not despair; ask for grace and eternal favour. If you cast your shield so easily away from you, O ignorant one, your task will be difficult. If your repentance were not accepted, would the fall that gives rise to it be of any use? When you have sinned, the door of repentance remains open. Do penance, therefore, for this door will not be closed to you. Provided that you enter this path with sincerity, victory will be easy for you.”