Story of the lake and the fishermen and the three fishes, one intelligent and one half intelligent and the third deluded, foolish, heedless and good-for-naught; and the end of all three.

(2203) You will have read it in Kalíla, but that is the husk of the story, while this is the spiritual kernel.

(2204) Some fishermen passed beside the lake and saw that concealed.

(2205) Then they hastened to bring the net: the fishes noticed and became aware.

(2206) The intelligent one resolved to journey, resolved to make the difficult unwelcome journey.

(2207) He said, “I will not consult these, for assuredly they will make me weak in power.

(2208) Love of their native place and abode holds sway over their souls : their indolence and ignorance will strike on me.”

(2209) For consultation, some goodly, living person is required, that he may make you living; and where is that living one ?

(2210) O traveller, take counsel with a traveller, for a woman’s counsel will keep your foot lame.

(2211) Pass on from the expression, “love of country”; do not stop, for your country is Yonder, O soul: it is not on this side.

(2212) If you desire your country, cross to the other bank of the stream: do not misread this true Hadíth.

The inner meaning of the recitation of the ablutionary prayers by one who performs the ritual ablution.

(2213) In the ritual ablution, a separate form of prayer for each member of the body has been handed down in Tradition.

(2214) When you snuff up water into your nose, beg of the self-sufficient Lord the scent of Paradise,

(2215) In order that that scent may lead you towards Paradise: the scent of the rose is the guide to the rose-trees.

(2216) When you perform the act of ablution, the form of prayer and words is this: “O Lord, cleanse me from this.

(2217) My hand has reached this place and washed it, my hand is weak to wash my spirit.

(2218) O You by whom the spirit of the unworthy is made worthy, the hand of Your bounty is reaching the spirits.

(2219) This I, vile, has done was my limit: make clean what beyond the limit, O gracious One.

(2220) O God, I have washed my skin clean of ordure: You wash this beloved clean of worldly taints.”

(2221) A certain one said at the time of ablution, “Unite me with the scent of Paradise !”

(2222) A person said, “You have used a good formula, but you have missed the hole for the prayer.

(2223) Since this prayer was the formula applicable to the nose, why have you applied the nose-formula to the arse ?

(2224) One free gets the odour of Paradise from his nose : how should the odour of Paradise come from the rump ?”

(2227) The rose grew for the sake of the nostrils : sweet scent is the stipend of the nose, O churl.

(2228) The scent of the rose is for organs of smell, O bold man: this hole below is not the place for that scent.

(2229) How should the scent of Paradise come to you from this place ? If you require the scent, seek it from its place.

(2230) Likewise, “love of country” is right, first, O master, know your country.

(2231) That sagacious fish said, “I will journey, I will withdraw my heart from their advice and counsel.”

(2234) Set out from this lake towards the sea : seek the sea and take leave of this whirlpool.

(2235) That wary fish made its breast a foot and was going from its perilous abode to the sea of light,

(2236) Like the deer of which a dog is in pursuit and which keeps running so long as there is a single nerve in its body.

(2237) Hare’s sleep with the dog in pursuit is a sin: how indeed is sleep in the eye of him who has fear ?

(2238) That fish departed and took the way to the sea : it took the far way and the vast expanse.

(2239) It suffered many afflictions, and in the end it went after all towards safety and welfare.

(2240) It cast itself into the deep Sea whose bound no eye can reach.

(2241) So when the fishermen brought their net, the half-intelligent was bitterly grieved thereat.

(2242) And said, “Alas, I have lost the opportunity: how did not I accompany that guide ?

(2243) He went off suddenly, but seeing that he went I ought to have gone after him in hot haste.”

(2244) It is wrong to regret the past : what is gone will not come back : to remember it is of no avail.

How the half-intelligent fish devised a means and feigned to be dead.

(2266) The second fish said in the hour of tribulation, when he was left sundered from the shadow of the intelligent one,

(2267) "He has gone towards the sea and is freed from sorrow : such a good comrade has been lost to me !

(2268) But I will not think of that and will attend to myself : at this time I will feign to be dead.

(2269) Then I will turn my belly upwards and my back downwards and will move on the water.

(2271) I will become dead; I will commit myself to the water : to die before death is to be safe from torment.”

(2272) To die before death is to be safe, O youth: even so has Mustafa commanded us.

(2273) He said, “Die, all of you, before death comes, else you will die with sore afflictions.”

(2274) He died in that manner and threw his belly upwards : the water was carrying him, now below, now aloft.

(2275) Every one of those pursuers bore great vexation, saying, “Alas, the best fish is dead.”

(2276) He was made glad by their saying “Alas”, “This trick of mine has come off, I am delivered from the sword.”

(2277) Then a worthy fisherman seized him and spat on him and flung him on the ground.

(2278) He, rolling over and over, went secretly into the water; the foolish one remained, moving to and fro in agitation.

(2279) That simpleton kept leaping about, right and left, in order that he might save his skin by his own efforts.

(2280) They cast the net, and he remained in the net : foolishness ensconced him in that fire.

(2281) On the top of the fire, on the surface of a frying-pan, he became the bedfellow of Folly.

(2282) He was seething from the heat of the flames : Reason was saving to him, “Did not a warner come to you ?”

(2283) He, from the rack of torture and tribulation, was replying like the souls of the unbelievers: they said, “Yea.”

(2284) Then again he was saying, “If this time I escape from this neck-breaking affliction,

(2285) I will not make my home except in a sea: I will not make a lake my dwelling-place.

(2286) I will seek the boundless sea and become safe : I will go in safety and welfare forever.”

(2377) A cow comes suddenly into Baghdad and passes from this side to that side,

(2378) Of all pleasures and joys and delights she will see nothing but the rind of a water-melon.

(2379) Straw or hay has fallen on the road, suitable to his bovine or asinine disposition.

(2380) Dry on the nail of nature, like strips of meat,his spirit, bound with secondary causes, does not grow;

(2381) But the spacious realm where means and causes are torn to shreds is the earth of God (Dry land), O most honourable sire.

(2467) Listen; be observant if you would have a heart, for something is born to you in consequence of every action.

(2468) And if you have an aspiration greater than this, the enterprise goes beyond the observant,

(2282) For man is like the water of the river: when it becomes turbid, you cannot see its bottom.

(2283) The bottom of the river is full of jewels and full of pearls: take heed, do not make turbid, for it is pure and free.

(2284) The spirit of man resembles air : when it is mixed with dust, it veils the sky,

(2285) And prevents from seeing the sun; when its dust is gone, it becomes pure and undefiled.

(2286) Notwithstanding your complete darkness, God was showing you visions that you might travel the way of deliverance.

How God made a revelation to Moses, saying, “O Moses, I who am the exalted Creator love you.”

(2921) God spoke to Moses by inspiration of the heart, saying, “O chosen one, I love you.”

(2922) He said, “O Bountiful One, what disposition is the cause of that, in order that I may augment it.”

(2923) He said, “You are like a child in the presence of its mother: when she chastises it, it still lays hold of her.

(2924) It does not even know that there is any one in the world except her : it is both afflicted with headache by her and intoxicated by her.

(2925) If its mother gives it a slap, still it comes to its mother and clings to her.

(2926) It does not seek help from anyone but her : she is all its evil and it’s good.

(2927) Your heart, likewise, in good or evil never turns from Me to other quarters.

(2928) In your sight all besides Me are as stones and clods, whether boys or youths or old men.”

(2929) Just as You we worship in yearning entreaty, in tribulation we ask help of none but You.

(2930) This You we worship is idiomatically for the purpose of appropriation, and that is for the purpose of negating hypocrisy.

(2931) Of You we ask help also is for the purpose of appropriation: he appropriates and restricts the asking of help,

(2932) Meaning, “We perform worship to You alone; we have hope of help from You alone.”

How a king was enraged with his boon-companion, and an intercessor interceded on behalf of the object of anger and begged the king; and how the king accepted his intercession, the boon-companion resented the action of the intercessor and asked, “Why did you intercede ?”

(2933) A king was enraged with a boon-companion and was about to reduce him to smoke and dust.

(2934) The king drew his sword from the scabbard that he might inflict upon him the punishment for that disobedience.

(2935) No one had the courage to utter neither a word nor any intercessor to venture on intercession,

(2936) Except one amongst the courtiers named Imádu ’l-Mulk, privileged in respect of intercession, like Mustafa.

(2937) He sprang up and at once prostrated himself : the king immediately put away from his hand the sword of vengeance,

(2938) And said, “If he is the Devil, I forgive him; and if he has done a satanic deed, I cover it up.

(2939) Since you have intervened, I am satisfied, if the culprit has committed a hundred acts of harm.

(2940) I can break a hundred thousand angers, seeing that you have such excellence and such worth;

(2941) Nowise can I break your supplication, because your supplication is assuredly my supplication.

(2942) If he had thrown earth and heaven into confusion, this man would not have escaped from vengeance;

(2943) And if atom by atom had become a suppliant, he would not have saved his head from the sword at this moment.

(2944) We confer no obligation on you, O noble one; but it is to explain your honour, O boon-companion.

(2945) You did not make this, for assuredly I made it, O you whose qualities are buried in my qualities.

(2946) In this you are the one employed to do the work, not the doer, inasmuch as you are borne by me and art not the bearer.

(2947) You have become You did not throw when you threw : like the foam, you have abandoned yourself in the wave.

(2948) You have become ‘not’; take up your abode beside ‘except.’ This is wonderful, that you are both a prisoner and a prince.

(2949) You did not give what you gave : the king gave it. He alone is. God best knows the right course.

(2950) And the boon-companion who had been delivered from the stroke of calamity was offended with this intercessor and drew back from fealty.

(2951) He cut off all friendship with that sincere man, and turned his face to the wall in order that he might not give the salaam.

(2952) He became estranged from his intercessor; in astonishment at this the people began to talk,

(2953) Saying, “He is not mad, how did he cut off friendly relations with the person who redeemed his life ?

(2954) He redeemed him from beheading at that moment : he ought to have become the dust of his shoe.

(2955) He has gone the reverse way and has taken renouncing : he has taken to cherishing enmity against a beloved like this.”

(2956) Then a certain mentor reproached him, saying, “Why are you acting so unjustly towards a loyal friend ?

(2957) That elect beloved redeemed your life and saved you from beheading at that moment.

(2958) If he had done evil, you ought not to have turned away that praiseworthy friend was especially your benefactor.

(2959) He replied, “Life is freely given for the king’s sake : why should he come as an intercessor between ?

(2960) At that moment mine was ‘I am with God in a state wherein no chosen prophet is my peer.’

(2961) I desire no mercy but the blows of the king; I desire no refuge except that king.

(2962) I have negated all besides the king for the reason that I have devoted myself to the king.

(2963) The king, if he beheads me in his wrath, will bestow on me sixty other lives.

(2964) It is my business to hazard my head and to be selfless; it is the business of my sovereign king to give a head.”

(2965) Honour to the head that is severed by the King’s hand ! Shame on the head that betakes itself to another !

(2967) Truly, the circumambulation performed by him who beholds the King is above wrath and grace and infidelity and religion.

(2968) Not one word expressing it has come into the world, for it is hidden, hidden, hidden,

(2969) Inasmuch as these glorious names and words were manifested from the reel of Adam.

(2970) He taught the names was an Imam for Adam; but not in the garb of ‘ayn and lám.

(2971) When he put on his head the cap of water and clay, those spiritual names became black-faced,

(2972) For they assumed the veil of letters and breath, in order that the essential reality might be made manifest to the water and clay.

(2973) Although from one point of view speech is a revealer, yet from ten points of view it is a curtain and concealer.

Ya Ali Madad