Symbols serve to express ideas.
Words serve to explain symbols.
For the complete expression of ideas
there is nothing like symbols,
and for the complete explanation of symbols
there is nothing like words.

By examining the words one may perceive the symbols.
By examining the symbols one may perceive the ideas.

The ideas are completely expressed by the symbols,
and the symbols are explained by words.

Once the symbols have been grasped,
the words may be forgotten.
Once the symbols have been grasped,
the symbols may be forgotten.
-Wang Pi