Becoming like a fly on the platters of the rich—if this is not shamelessness, then what else is it?

Here, the poet draws a biting comparison between a sycophant and a fly buzzing greedily around a rich person's dinner plate. It is a sharp critique of flatterers who willingly surrender their dignity and self-respect just to scavenge for scraps from the powerful. The couplet warmly reminds us that true honor lies in self-reliance, and bowing before wealth is nothing short of shameless.