Further setting forth the stratagem of the hare.
The hare made much delay in going; he rehearsed to himself the tricks (which he was about to play).
After long delay he came on (took) the road, that he might say one or two secrets into the ear of the lion.
Think, what worlds are in commerce with Reason! How wide is this ocean of Reason!
In this sweet ocean our forms are moving fast, like cups on the surface of water:
Until they become full, (they float) like bowls on the top of the sea, (but) when the bowl is filled it sinks therein.
Reason is hidden, and (only) a world (of phenomena) is visible: our forms are the waves or a spray of it (of that hidden ocean).
Whatsoever (thing) the form makes (uses as) a means of approach to It (to Reason), by that (same) means the ocean (of Reason) casts it (the form) far away.
So long as the heart does not see the Giver of (its) conscience, so long as the arrow does not see the far-shooting Archer,
He (who is thus blind) thinks his horse is lost, though (all the while) he is obstinately speeding his horse on the road.
That fine fellow thinks his horse is lost, while his horse is sweeping him onward like the wind.
In lamentation and inquiry that scatterbrain (runs) from door to door in every direction, asking and searching:
“Where and who is he that stole my horse?” What is this (animal) under thy thigh, O master?
“Yes, this is the horse, but where is the horse?” O dexterous rider in search of thy horse, come to thyself!
The Spirit is lost (to view) because of its being so manifest and near: how, having thy belly full of water, art thou dry- lipped like a jar?
How wilt thou see red and green and russet, unless before (seeing) these three (colours) thou see the light?
But since thy mind was lost (absorbed) in (perception of) the colour, those colours became to thee a veil from (debarred thee from contemplating) the light.
Inasmuch as at night those colours were hidden, thou sawest that thy vision of the colour was (derived) from the light.
There is no vision of colour without the external light: even so it is with the colour of inward phantasy.
This outward (light) is (derived) from the sun and from Suhá, while the inward (light) is from the reflexion of the beams of (Divine) Glory.
The light which gives light to the eye is in truth the light of the heart: the light of the eye is produced by the light of hearts.
Again, the light which gives light to the heart is the Light of God, which is pure and separate from the light of intellect and sense.
At night there was no light: thou didst not see the colour; then it (the light) was made manifest by the opposite of light (by darkness).
(First) comes the seeing of light, then the seeing of colour; and this thou knowest immediately by the opposite of light (darkness).
God created pain and sorrow for the purpose that happiness might be made manifest by means of this opposite.
Hidden things, then, are manifested by means of their opposite; since God hath no opposite, He is hidden;
For the sight fell (first) on the light, then on the colour: opposite is made manifest by opposite, like Greeks and Ethiopians.
Therefore thou knewest light by its opposite: opposite reveals opposite in (the process of) coming forth.
The Light of God hath no opposite in (all) existence, that by means of that opposite it should be possible to make Him manifest:
Necessarily (therefore) our eyes do not perceive Him, though He perceives (us): see this (fact) from (the case of) Moses and the mountain (Sinai).
Know that form springs from spirit (reality) as the lion from the jungle, or as voice and speech from thought.
This speech and voice arose from thought; thou knowest not where is the sea of thought,
But since thou hast seen that the waves of speech are fair, thou knowest that their sea also is noble.
When the waves of thought sped on from (the sea of) Wisdom, it (Wisdom) made (for them) the form of speech and voice.
The form was born of the Word and died again, the wave drew itself back into the sea.
The form came forth from Formlessness and went back (thither), for Verily unto Him are we returning.
Every instant, then, thou art dying and returning: Mustafá declared that this world is (but) a moment.
Our thought is an arrow (shot) from Him (Hú) into the air (hawá): how should it stay in the air? It comes (back) to God.
Every moment the world is renewed, and we are unaware of its being renewed whilst it remains (the same in appearance).
Life is ever arriving anew, like the stream, though in the body it has the semblance of continuity.
From its swiftness it appears continuous, like the spark which thou whirlest rapidly with thy hand.
If thou whirl a firebrand with dexterity, it appears to the sight as a very long (line of) fire.
The swift motion produced by the action of God presents this length of duration (Time) as (a phenomenon arising) from the rapidity of Divine action.
Even if the seeker of this mystery is an exceedingly learned man, (say to him), “Lo, Husámu’ddín, who is a sublime book (where you will find the mystery revealed).”
