آن سیاهی فحم در آتش نهان ** چونک آتش شد سیاهی شد عیان
The blackness of the coal is hidden in the fire: when the fire is gone, the blackness becomes evident.
اخگر از حرص تو شد فحم سیاه ** حرص چون شد ماند آن فحم تباه
By your greed the black coal is made live: when the greed is gone, that vicious coal remains.
آن زمان آن فحم اخگر می‌نمود ** آن نه حسن کار نار حرص بود1125
At that (former) time the coal appeared to be live; that was not (owing to) the goodness of (your) action: it was (owing to) the fire of greed.
حرص کارت را بیاراییده بود ** حرص رفت و ماند کار تو کبود
Greed had embellished your action: greed departed, and your action was left in squalor
غوله‌ای را که بر آرایید غول ** پخته پندارد کسی که هست گول
(Only) one who is foolish will think ripe (and sweet) the ghawla which the ghouls deck out (describe as being attractive).
آزمایش چون نماید جان او ** کند گردد ز آزمون دندان او
When his soul makes trial (of it), its teeth are blunted by the experiment.
از هوس آن دام دانه می‌نمود ** عکس غول حرص و آن خود خام بود
From vain desire, the reflexion (distorting influence) of the ghoul, (which is) greed, was causing the trap to appear a (delicious) berry, though in truth it was unripe.
حرص اندر کار دین و خیر جو ** چون نماند حرص باشد نغزرو1130
Seek greed (seek to be eager) in the practice of religion and in good works: they are (still) beautiful, (even) when the greed (eagerness) remains not.
خیرها نغزند نه از عکس غیر ** تاب حرص ار رفت ماند تاب خیر
Good works are beautiful (in themselves), not through the re flexion of any other thing: if the glow of greed is gone, the glow of good remains;
تاب حرص از کار دنیا چون برفت ** فحم باشد مانده از اخگر بتفت
(But) when the glow of greed is gone from worldly work, of the red-hot coal (only) the black ashes are left.
کودکان را حرص می‌آرد غرار ** تا شوند از ذوق دل دامن‌سوار
Folly excites greed (for amusement) in children, so that from gleefulness of heart they ride a cock-horse
چون ز کودک رفت آن حرص بدش ** بر دگر اطفال خنده آیدش
When that evil greed of his is gone from the child, he begins to laugh at the other children,
که چه می‌کردم چه می‌دیدم درین ** خل ز عکس حرص بنمود انگبین1135
Saying, “What was I doing? What was I seeing in this?” From the reflexion of greed the vinegar appeared to be honey.
آن بنای انبیا بی حرص بود ** زان چنان پیوسته رونقها فزود
That edifice of the prophets was (raised) without greed (self- interest); hence the splendours (of its renown) increased so uninterruptedly.
ای بسا مسجد بر آورده کرام ** لیک نبود مسجد اقصاش نام
Oh, many a mosque have the noble (prophets) erected, but “the Farther mosque” is not its name.
کعبه را که هر دمی عزی فزود ** آن ز اخلاصات ابراهیم بود
The grandeur which at every moment accrued to the Ka’ba— that (grandeur) was (derived) from the acts done in pure de voti on by Abraham.
فضل آن مسجد خاک و سنگ نیست ** لیک در بناش حرص و جنگ نیست
The excellence of that mosque (which the prophets build) is not from earth and stone, but (because) there is no greed or enmity in its builder.
نه کتبشان مثل کتب دیگران ** نی مساجدشان نی کسب وخان و مان1140
Their Books are not as the books of others, nor their mosques nor their means of livelihood nor their houses and homes,
نه ادبشان نه غضبشان نه نکال ** نه نعاس و نه قیاس و نه مقال
Nor their observance of respect nor their anger nor their chastisement nor their slumber nor their reasoning nor their discourse.
هر یکیشان را یکی فری دگر ** مرغ جانشان طایر از پری دگر
To each one of them belongs a different glory: (in each of them) the bird, their spirit, flies with a different wing.