# LXXXVI explained — The Luzumiyat

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

## What happens

The speaker reflects on the paradoxical nature of dreams, where evil dreams come true while pleasant ones remain unreal, weaving together themes of sleep, night, and golden beams.

## Themes in this chapter

### Illusion and Reality

The contrast between dreams that come true (evil) and those that do not (pleasant) highlights the blurred line between illusion and reality.

## Character check-ins

### Allah

The speaker addresses Allah directly, lamenting the woven nature of sleep with night and golden beams.

## Key lines

> Allah, my sleep is woven through, it seems, With burning threads of night and golden beams; But when my dreams are evil they come true; When they are not, they are, alas! but dreams.

O Allah, my sleep appears to be interwoven with intense darkness and bright light; yet my bad dreams become reality, while my good ones remain only dreams.

_The speaker expresses a bitter irony about the nature of dreams and reality._

## Links

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