The Masnavi, Book One (Oxford World's Classics)

The other animals seek from the hare the secret of his thoughts
The other beasts then said, ‘Quick-thinking hare,
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What is it you perceive of our a
ffair?
How a Hare Killed the Tyrannical Lion
66

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You’ve dealt with king-size problems, so relate
What you conclude about our present state!’
Conferral aids perception, helps one learn,
Like minds can help their fellows to discern:
The Prophet said, ‘
Consult them, counsellor,
And trust the ones with whom you must confer!’
The hare withholds that secret from them
The hare said, ‘Every secret can’t be shown,
Dice bring up odds then evens when they’re thrown:
To clean a mirror 
first you’ll want to blow
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But steam will quickly dull the mirror’s glow.’
Keep your lips sealed, don’t mention, as a rule,
Your path, your wealth, and your religious school,
For these three can attract so many foes,
Each one will wait to catch you once he knows ––
Don’t even tell a few, have you not read:
‘
All secrets shared by more than two are spread’?
Tie up two birds together and you’ll see
That they stay grounded, trapped, in agony,
They’re actually conferring, though they’re bound,
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With metaphors to fool all those around.
The Prophet gave exclusive teachings too,
Answering his men though they then had no clue;
To cloak his words he’d use a parable
So foes could not grasp what was valuable,
And he extracted answers from each foe
While from his questions none of them would know!
The story of the hare’s plot
The hare delayed his journey for a while,
Then started to complete that 
final mile,
That lion slew foes, and the hare was late,
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So he would beat the ground and roar, irate:
‘I knew those wretched beasts were bound to break
Their promises –– their contract was a fake!
How a Hare Killed the Tyrannical Lion
67

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They’ve tripped me up so cruelly with deceit,
How many times will fate’s tricks thus repeat!’
All feeble-minded princes feel despair
When they can’t see what’s happening out there:
The road looks smooth, but traps are set below,
When they lack meaning, names are just for show,
Both words and names are hidden pitfalls too:
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Flattery is sand which saps all life from you.
The sand which gushes water is so rare,
You’ll have to search for that kind everywhere!
The man of God is like that type of sand;
Fleeing himself he grabs God’s helping hand,
Faith’s waters 
flow from him relentlessly,
Reviving seekers with love’s gifts for free.
But other men are like the driest sand,
They sap all life from you, please understand:
Seek wisdom from the sage now, if you can,
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Gain knowledge and new vision from this man!
Seek wisdom, and then you’ll become its source,
Needless, safe from what drives men from their course;
The student’s tablet turns to one ‘preserved’,
*
When intellect from spirit grace is served:
At
first his intellect would lead the way
But like a student now it must obey,
The intellect repeats what Gabriel said:
‘Prophet, I’ll burn if I should move ahead!
But you can still proceed towards the goal,
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I’ve reached my limit, Sultan of the Soul!’
*
Each heedless and impatient, low ingrate
Complains that he must always follow fate,
Excuses like from those who feign being ill ––
They’ll su
ffer from a sickness that can kill:
‘Saying you’re sick in jest’, the Prophet said
‘Will bring an illness that will leave you dead!’
Fate ties up broken bones to heal the pain
And joins together every broken vein: