# CXIV explained — The Luzumiyat

> Chapter companion for The Luzumiyat by Abu al-ʻAlaʼ al-Maʻarri.

## What happens

The chapter questions the futility of seeking ultimate truths about existence, suggesting that death alone holds the secret and will reveal it in time.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Transience

Death is portrayed as the keeper of life's ultimate secret, emphasizing the transient nature of human knowledge.

### Doubt and Skepticism

The chapter expresses skepticism about humanity's ability to grasp truth, questioning the value of seeking knowledge that remains elusive.

## Key lines

> Why try to con the book of earth and sky, Why seek the truth which neither you nor I Can grasp?

Why attempt to understand the universe or pursue a truth that is beyond human comprehension?

_The speaker dismisses the pursuit of metaphysical knowledge as futile._

> But Death methinks the secret keeps, And will impart it to us by and by.

Death, I believe, holds the answer and will eventually reveal it to us.

_Death is personified as the guardian of ultimate knowledge, which will be disclosed after life ends._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters/cxiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters