Rumi's Masnavi - The lion saw himself in the well, and in his fury he did not know himself at that moment from the enemy.

The lion saw himself in the well, and in his fury he did not know himself at that moment from the enemy.

شیر خود را دید در چه وز غلو ** خویش را نشناخت آن دم از عدو

He regarded his own reflexion as his enemy: necessarily he drew a sword against himself.

عکس خود را او عدوی خویش دید ** لا جرم بر خویش شمشیری کشید

Oh, many an iniquity that you see in others is your own nature (reflected) in them, O reader!

ای بسا ظلمی که بینی از کسان ** خوی تو باشد در ایشان ای فلان‌‌

In them shone forth all that you are in your hypocrisy and iniquity and insolence. 1320

اندر ایشان تافته هستی تو ** از نفاق و ظلم و بد مستی تو

You are that (evil-doer), and you are striking those blows at yourself: you are weaving a curse upon yourself at that moment.

آن تویی و آن زخم بر خود می‌‌زنی ** بر خود آن دم تار لعنت می‌‌تنی‌‌

You do not see clearly the evil in yourself, else you would hate yourself with (all) your soul.

در خود آن بد را نمی‌‌بینی عیان ** ور نه دشمن بودیی خود را به جان‌‌

You are assaulting yourself, O simpleton, like the lion who made a rush at himself.

حمله بر خود می‌‌کنی ای ساده مرد ** همچو آن شیری که بر خود حمله کرد

When you reach the bottom of your own nature, then you will know that that vileness was from yourself.

چون به قعر خوی خود اندر رسی ** پس بدانی کز تو بود آن ناکسی‌‌

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. 1325

شیر را در قعر پیدا شد که بود ** نقش او آن کش دگر کس می‌‌نمود

Whoever tears out the teeth of a poor wretch is doing what the falsely-seeing lion did.

هر که دندان ضعیفی می‌‌کند ** کار آن شیر غلط بین می‌‌کند