LXXX: Certainly this man is, thro' polish and good…

Certainly this man is, thro' polish and good breeding, a human being;
For he, who is not possessed of these, is no better than the beast of the field.

They are not men, who may not inherit either faithfulness or constancy;
Otherwise the dog, in these matters, is far more estimable than they.

The just and conscientious are, unto me, as the flowers of Paradise's parterre;
But the false and tyrannical are, unto me, as the fuel of the fire of Hell.

When the dog groweth familiar with any one, and obtaineth something to eat,
At him, he will never bark nor growl again, as long as his life may last.

He, who is with justice and equity endowed, need have no fear of Hell;
And justice, in my sight, is far more important than even piety itself.

From good nature and qualities, the estimation of a man's worth is formed;
For, by disposition, a man is either a devil, or an angel--a fiend, or a fay.

Flee speedily from him, who may possess neither learning nor attainments;
For the man, without knowledge and information, is but a straw.

When he cannot be restrained by thy counsels, nor be guided by thy advice,
Fetters are required to control him, even though he a lion may be.

What, indeed, is either vice or virtue--right or wrong, atheists unto?
According to the creed they follow, the dog's whelp is an innocent lamb.

In the sunshine of prosperity, the sincerity of friends cannot be tested;
But they are thy friends, who help thee, in adversity, thy load to sustain.

Every ascetic, who without a spiritual guide, assumeth a life of austerity,
In the estimation of Khushhal, Khattak, is but an empty husk.