The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi

❦ 420. One dervish said to another, “Tell (me), what was thy vision of the Presence of God?”
He replied, “My vision was ineffable; but for the sake of argument I will briefly declare a parable thereof.
I beheld Him with a fire on His left, and on the right a stream (like) Kawthar the paradisiacal river of abundance:
On His left an exceedingly world-consuming fire, on His right hand a sweet river.
One party put forth their hands towards the fire, (while) another party were rejoicing and intoxicated (with desire) for that Kawthar.

❦ 425. But ’twas a very topsy-turvy (mystifying) game in the path of every one doomed to perdition or blessed with salvation.
Whoever went into the fire and sparks was emerging from the midst of the water;
Whoever went from the middle towards the water, he was at once found to be in the fire;
Whoever went towards the right (hand) and the limpid water would put forth his head from the fire on the left;
And he who went towards the fiery left, would emerge on the right.

❦ 430. Few were they who hit upon (understood) the mystery of this occult (matter); consequently, seldom would any one go into the fire;
(None would go) except him upon whom felicity was shed, so that he abandoned the water and took refuge in the fire.
The people made the pleasure that was actually present their object of worship; consequently the people were swindled by this game.
Troop by troop and rank by rank, (they were) on their guard against the fire and fleeing greedily and in haste towards the water.
Of necessity, they lifted up their heads (emerged) from (amidst) the fire. Take warning, take warning, O heedless man!

❦ 435. The fire was crying, ‘O crazy fools, I am not fire, I am a delectable fountain.
A spell has been cast on thine eyes, O sightless one: come into me and never flee from the sparks.
O (thou who art as) Khalíl Friend of God/Abraham, here are no sparks and smoke: ’tis naught but the sorcery and deceit of Nimrod the legendary king who sought to burn Abraham.
If, like the Friend of God, thou art wise, the fire is thy water, and thou art the moth.’”
The soul of the moth is always crying, “Oh, alas, would that I had a hundred thousand wings,

❦ 440. That they might be consumed without mercy by the fire, to the blindness (confusion) of the eyes and hearts of the profane!
The ignorant man pities me from stupidity: I pity him from clairvoyance.
Especially this fire (of Love), which is the soul of (all) waters (delights); (but) the behaviour of the (ignorant) moth is contrary to ours.
It sees the light and goes into a Fire; the heart (of the mystic) sees the fire and goes into a Light.”
Such a (deceptive) game is played by the Glorious God in order that you may see who belongs to the kin of Khalíl Friend of God/Abraham.

❦ 445. A fire has been given the semblance of water, and in the fire a fountain has been opened.
A magician by his art makes a dish of rice (appear to be) a dish full of (tiny) worms in the assembly;
(Or) by the breath (power) of magic he has caused a room to appear full of scorpions, though in truth there were no scorpions.
When sorcery produces a hundred such illusions, how (much greater) must be the cunning of the Creator of sorcery?
Of necessity, through the magic of God generation after generation have fallen down (been vanquished), like a woman (lying) flat beneath original: "sub marito" — underneath a husband.

❦ 450. Their magicians were slaves and servants, and fell into the trap (of Divine cunning) like wagtails.