How the lion looked into the well and saw the reflexion of himself and the hare in the water.
When the lion took him to his side, under the lion's protection he began to run towards the well.
As soon as they looked at the water in the well, there shone forth in the water the light (reflected) from the lion and him (the hare).
The lion saw his own reflexion: from the water shone the image of a lion with a plump hare at his side.
When he beheld his adversary in the water, he left him (the hare) and sprang into the well.
He fell into the well which he had dug, because his iniquity was coming (back) on his own head.
The iniquity of evil-doers became (for them) a dark well: so have said all the wise.
The more iniquitous one is, the more frightful is his well: (Divine) Justice has ordained worse (punishment) for worse (sin).
O you who from iniquity are digging a well (for others), you are making a snare for yourself.
Do not weave (a cocoon) round yourself, like the silkworm. You are digging a well for yourself (to fall in): dig with moderation (not too deep).
Deem not the weak to be without a champion: recite from the Qur’án (the words), When the help of God shall come.
If you are an elephant and your foe fled from you, lo, the retribution came upon you, birds in flocks.
If any poor man on the earth beg for mercy, a loud tumult falls on (arises among) the Host of Heaven.
If you bite him with your teeth and make him bleed, toothache will attack you—how will you do (then)?
The lion saw himself in the well, and in his fury he did not know himself at that moment from the enemy.
He regarded his own reflexion as his enemy: necessarily he drew a sword against himself.
Oh, many an iniquity that you see in others is your own nature (reflected) in them, O reader!
In them shone forth all that you are in your hypocrisy and iniquity and insolence.
You are that (evil-doer), and you are striking those blows at yourself: ’tis yourself you are cursing at that moment.
You do not see clearly the evil in yourself, else you would hate yourself with (all) your soul.
You are assaulting yourself, O simpleton, like the lion who made a rush at himself.
When you reach the bottom of your own nature, then you will know that that vileness was from yourself.
At the bottom (of the well) it became manifest to the lion that he who seemed to him to be another was (really) his own image.
Whoever tears out the teeth of a poor wretch is doing what the falsely-seeing lion did.
O you who see the bad reflexion on the face of your uncle, it is not your uncle that is bad, it is you: do not run away from yourself!
The Faithful are mirrors to one another: this saying is related from the Prophet.
You held a blue glass before your eye: for that reason the world seemed to you to be blue.
Unless you are blind, know that this blueness comes from yourself: speak ill of yourself, speak no more ill of any one (else).
If the true believer was not seeing by the Light of God, how did things unseen appear naked (plainly revealed) to the true believer?
Inasmuch as you were seeing by the Fire of God, you did not discern the difference between good and evil.
Little by little throw water on the fire, that your fire may become light, O man of sorrow!
Throw Thou, O Lord, the purifying water, that this world-fire may become wholly light.
All the water of the sea is under Thy command; water and fire, O Lord, are Thine.
If Thou willest, fire becomes sweet water; and if Thou willest not, even water becomes fire.
This search (aspiration) in us is also brought into existence by Thee; deliverance from iniquity is Thy gift, O Lord.
Without (our) seeking Thou hast given us this search, Thou hast given (us) gifts without number and (without) end.
