It suits the generous one to give money,
but truly the generosity of the lover
is to surrender the soul.
If you give bread for god’ sake,
you will be given bread in return;
if you give your life for God’s sake,
you will be given life in return.
If the leafs of the plane tree drop off,
it will be given the gift of leaflessness
If because of your generosity
nothing is left in your hands,
how could God’s abundance leave you downtrodden?
When a farmer sows seed, he empties the barn,
but out in the fields it’s growing.
left in the barn, time and decay,
weevil and mice devour it.