V. The Lion and the Beasts.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
Those hidden foes,—the hideous, and the fair as well,—
By day and night affect his heart with charm and spell.
Thou enterest a river, just to have a bathe;
A hidden thorn may pierce thy foot, bared of its swathe.
Thou seest it not. ’Tis hid at bottom of the stream.
Thou feel’st it in thy foot; thou knowest it’s not a dream.
Plagues, troubles, fears, and cares, of various degree,
All spring from many sides, and fix themselves in thee.
Bear all with patience; slowly thou’lt experience gain.
Thou’lt recognise the truth; the dark will be made plain.145
At length thou’lt scout the vagaries of learned men,
And take unto thyself, as patterns, saints of ken.
The beasts on second thoughts resolved to hear puss out.
“Explain,” said they, “what ’tis thou’dst have us set about.
Let’s hear; ’tis with the lion we shall have to do.
Set forth thy plan; let’s see what stratagem’s in view.
Deliberation’s ever wisdom’s truest friend;
Two heads than one are better,—lead to safer end.
The prophet spake: ‘O ruling judge, ere thou decide,
Take counsel; for ’tis said: “In councillors confide.“’”150
The hare objects: “A secret’s not for ev’ry clod.
Odd even is at times; and sometimes even’s odd.
Too closely with a mirror shouldst thou converse hold,
From prudery it umbrage takes, grows dull; the scold.
On matters three, allow not oft thy lips to speak:
First, going; gold, next; third, the path thou hast to seek.
These all have sundry enemies and deadly foes,
Who’ll lie in ambush, each, if he thy purpose knows.
If thou ‘Adieu’ to only one or two shouldst call,
Remember: ‘Two’s a secret; three is none at all.’155
If fast together thou shouldst bind birds, two or three,
They’ll quiet lie on earth, nor strive themselves to free.
Men hold it best to ask for counsel in wide terms.
Beware; and wrangle not with perverse pachyderms.
The Prophet covertly men’s counsel used to seek.
His answer he’d obtain; his purpose did not leak.
He’d speak in parables, and so convey his wish,
That foes might hear, but not suspect its purport. Pish!
He’d ferret out in answers all he wished to learn;
And still not give an inkling of his thought’s real turn.”160