If in extreme sorrow I were to lift a heavy slab of stone and strike it on my head, my head would break into ten or five pieces, and the rock itself into four or five.

In this vividly dramatic couplet, the poet expresses the sheer magnitude of his inner anguish through striking poetic exaggeration. He imagines that if he were to smash a heavy stone slab against his head in profound despair, not only would his skull break into pieces, but the solid rock itself would shatter from the ferocious impact of his grief. It is a poignant reminder of how overwhelming emotional torment can be, possessing an intensity fierce enough to break even the hardest stone.