VIII: O thou, who pridest thyself on the plenitude…

O thou, who pridest thyself on the plenitude of the world's wealth!
How is it that the condition of thy forefathers restraineth thee not?

Their obvious existence, than that of the flowers hath been less;
Place then no reliance upon the mere phantasies of the world.

What is it to thee, though the face of the earth be broad?
But three yards, in its bosom, is all thy portion thereof.

Since, beneath the earth's surface, thy abode is appointed,
Fruitlessly, upon it, thou buildest thy mansions and thy courts.

Gaiety and enjoyment are intended for the callous and unconscious;
But sorrow and concern are, wholly, the portion of the enlightened.

The votaries of the world are all tyrants and oppressors;
From any one of them, of faithfulness, I have never yet heard.

They evince not a particle of shame, even in humanity's name:
They worry and rend each other, like unto ravenous beasts.

Outwardly, they may practise the appearance of friendship;
But the heart of every man is filled with opposition and strife.

Those deceptions that the world's sons now-a-day practise,
Even the fox would not be guilty of such wiles and deceits.

Weep not, though thou shouldst experience adversity's frowns!
For the evils and afflictions of this transient world shall not endure.

With the true and sincere, O SEPARATED! love and affection are good;
But with the deceitful, friendship advantageth not the least.