One day an eagle rose up from a craggy perch,
Stretched wide his wings and feathers in search of food.
Admiring his graceful feathers, he grew proud and boasted loud,
'Today, the world entire lies beneath my winds!
When I soar o'er the ocean, I can see with eagle eye
Even a tiny hair, deep at the bottom of the sea!
And if, on land a gnat should move along a twig,
I catch that movement too, sharp within my sight!
In all the world, who can fly as well as I?
Vultures, condors, Simurghs, who?'
Suddenly, from a hidden spot, an arrow arched up high,
An arrow of disaster hurling straight to find its mark.
That searing, tearing arrow struck deep withtin the eagle's wing.
And broungt him crashing down from high to low.
Tumbled down that helpless bird, and landed, flipping like a fish.
And, disbelieving, opened wide his eyes from right to left.
Only when he spied the arrow's eagle feather did he comprehend at last;
'How can I complain?' he cried, 'What comes from us, returns to us!'
O Khusraw! Cast all your arrogance and pride aside,
You see what befell that eagle full of boasts!

-Nasir Khusraw as translated by Alice C. Hunsberger from The Ruby of Badakhshan

As explained by the author, "the poem warns us of excessive pride in our accomplishments and posessions". Pride and arrogance forgets the Creator who created the creation. Instead, one should approach accomplishments with humility and a sense of thankfulness.
Another hallmark feature of this popular persian poetry is the line 'What comes from us, returns to us!' This phrase teaches us the importance of personal responsiblity for one's actions and disasters. "If we are the doers of our acts, then we are responsible for them," as stated by A.H.

If we are ultimately responsible for our own actions then who is responsible for the actions of those that leave young children father- and mother-less? Who is responsible for the waste and filth? Who is responsible for sending kids to school? Who is responsible for providing equitable health care to all regardless of age, class, gender, religion and ethnicity? It is easy to point fingers at government officals and past regimes but it is harder to point the finger at our own direction...