Quatrain 5

RubāʿīIraqi style
English

Quatrain 5

Even if all your worship leaves you nothing but skin on bone, it is ugly to believe that you have done something good. If the one who seeks the Friend walks forward on the point of a spear, in truth, the debt of gratitude still rests on him: the Friend's grace is his.
Explanation: The 'Friend' (dust) is a common Persian term for God or the Beloved. The final line means that even the seeker's suffering is a favor granted by the Beloved, so the debt runs one way.

Original · Persian

رباعی شمارهٔ ۵

گر خود ز عبادت استخوانی در پوست زشتست اگر اعتقاد بندی که نکوست
گر بر سر پیکان برود طالب دوست حقا که هنوز منت دوست بروست