The first line means 'What a lavish pretense you put on the edge of the sword,' implying a dramatic show. The second line, 'Since when has this burden rested upon my head?' suggests a question about the duration or source of a heavy responsibility.

This couplet beautifully contrasts a dramatic, momentary act of surrender with a deep, chronic sorrow. The poet says that while he performed a great prostration at the edge of the sword—a moment of extreme crisis—the true pain wasn't the danger itself. The real weight, the 'bojh,' has been resting on his head for ages. It speaks to the difference between external struggle and internal, enduring grief.