# LXXXVII explained — The Luzumiyat

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

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### Fate

Destiny is personified as a player in a game of 'Give and Go,' manipulating the speaker's fortunes.

## Key lines

> 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._

## Links

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