Heavenly Mother, receive me into Thy glory. For worldly glory, where it sets, does not dawn again. And the crown that men give is always a crown of thorns for the wise and a fool's cap for the senseless. While gold lies under the earth, everyone loves it and seeks it. When it climbs onto the head of one man, the darkness of envy and hatred blinds its radiance.
Make me hidden gold in Thy most hidden treasury, that no one may know of me but Thee. For as long as Thou knowest me, I am known; as long as only men know me, my name is — doubt.
Hide me from the evil eyes of the world, for I turn green beneath them. Keep me as a secret that envy cannot divine. Be Thou wiser than I, and reveal me to no one. Behold, I had Thee as my dearest secret, and I revealed Thee to the world, and the world mocked me. For envy mocks when it cannot snatch away.
My friends, what have you from the glory of men but drunkenness, which begins with song and ends with lying in the mud?
My friends, all the mouths that sing your praise know yet another, contrary song, which you will hear later.
Flee from glory that is like a tower built on the back of a whale, lest both enemies and friends laugh at you from the shore.
But the unanimous glory that comes from men is the most inglorious, for it is indifferent.
And if your glory is a reward from the people, then you are a paid-off day-laborer, and tomorrow can cast you out of its field.
Truly, no new day recognizes your contract with the day gone by. Each one opens a new field and strikes a new bargain.
If your glory is the work of your arm, your days will be wrath, and your nights fear.
If your glory is the work of your wisdom, your wisdom will be made barren by your glory and will not be able to move.
But if you call your glory your own glory, Heaven will punish you for lying and for robbery.
Take a walk with your glory through the graveyard, and see whether the dead will glorify you.
Truly, you already walk unceasingly through the graveyard, and from moving graves you receive glory. Who will glorify you when the moving graves become unmoving?
You will be greatly grieved in the other world, when you hear the sincere opinion of yourselves from those who glorified you in this world.
Heavenly Mother, hide me deep from the eyes of men and from the tongue of men, there where only Thine eye sees through and where only Thy word is heard.
I pray to Thee, O my Eternal Beauty!