The Luzumiyat · Chapter
LXXXVII explained
The speaker reflects on their intimate knowledge of Destiny's subtle and capricious nature, describing life as a game where misfortune is experienced directly while joy remains an elusive promise.
What happens
The speaker reflects on their intimate knowledge of Destiny's subtle and capricious nature, describing life as a game where misfortune is experienced directly while joy remains an elusive promise.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Destiny
The chapter centers on the speaker's claimed understanding of Destiny's subtle methods, portraying life as a game of exchange where misfortune is tangible and joy is deferred.
Characters to notice
- Fate
Destiny is personified as a player in a game of 'Give and Go,' manipulating the speaker's fortunes.
Key passages
“The subtle ways of Destiny I know; In me she plays her game of 'Give and Go.'”
I am familiar with Destiny's cunning methods; she uses me as a pawn in her back-and-forth game.
The speaker asserts a deep, personal understanding of how fate operates, likening it to a game of exchange.
“Misfortune I receive in cash, but joy, In drafts on Heaven or on the winds that blow.”
I experience misfortune directly and immediately, while happiness comes only as a promise or an intangible hope.
Contrasts the tangible reality of suffering with the elusive, deferred nature of joy.