Rumi's Masnavi - 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;

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;

خیرها نغزند نه از عکس غیر ** تاب حرص ار رفت ماند تاب خیر

(But) when the glow of greed is gone from worldly work, of the red-hot coal (only) the black ashes are left.

تاب حرص از کار دنیا چون برفت ** فحم باشد مانده از اخگر بتفت

Folly excites greed (for amusement) in children, so that from gleefulness of heart they ride a cock-horse

کودکان را حرص می‌آرد غرار ** تا شوند از ذوق دل دامن‌سوار

When that evil greed of his is gone from the child, he begins to laugh at the other children,

چون ز کودک رفت آن حرص بدش ** بر دگر اطفال خنده آیدش

Saying, “What was I doing? What was I seeing in this?” From the reflexion of greed the vinegar appeared to be honey. 1135

که چه می‌کردم چه می‌دیدم درین ** خل ز عکس حرص بنمود انگبین

That edifice of the prophets was (raised) without greed (self- interest); hence the splendours (of its renown) increased so uninterruptedly.

آن بنای انبیا بی حرص بود ** زان چنان پیوسته رونقها فزود

Oh, many a mosque have the noble (prophets) erected, but “the Farther mosque” is not its name.

ای بسا مسجد بر آورده کرام ** لیک نبود مسجد اقصاش نام

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.

کعبه را که هر دمی عزی فزود ** آن ز اخلاصات ابراهیم بود

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.

فضل آن مسجد خاک و سنگ نیست ** لیک در بناش حرص و جنگ نیست

Their Books are not as the books of others, nor their mosques nor their means of livelihood nor their houses and homes, 1140

نه کتبشان مثل کتب دیگران ** نی مساجدشان نی کسب وخان و مان