O Hali, by speaking out unnecessarily, you have ruined your relationship with the entire world.
In this wry, self-reflective couplet, Hali gently chides himself for speaking out when conventional wisdom advised staying silent. By uttering uncomfortable truths, he ended up alienating the whole world around him, learning the hard way that society rarely tolerates an unvarnished voice. It beautifully captures the quiet isolation of a reformer or honest thinker whose sincerity inevitably puts them at odds with everyone else.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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