The poet says not to pull the bowstring, for we do not have many days; / And that cruelties are many in this test.

This powerful couplet is a desperate plea for mercy. The poet warns the aggressor, 'Do not draw the sword,' because the speaker feels that life itself is already a series of overwhelming trials and tests. The struggle is too much to bear. Mir Taqi Mir beautifully captures the weariness of the soul, suggesting that when life itself becomes the oppressor, the only recourse is to ask for a pause, a moment of grace.