The Luzumiyat · Chapter
LXXXVIII explained
The speaker confronts Destiny as an opponent in a cosmic game played on the checker-board of night and day, acknowledging the grim contest but foreseeing a time when the board will be turned, ending the game.
What happens
The speaker confronts Destiny as an opponent in a cosmic game played on the checker-board of night and day, acknowledging the grim contest but foreseeing a time when the board will be turned, ending the game.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Destiny
The chapter personifies Destiny as an opponent in a game of give and go, emphasizing the inescapable yet finite nature of fate.
Illusion and Reality
The checker-board of Night and Day suggests life as a transient game, hinting at the illusory nature of worldly struggles.
Characters to notice
- Fate
Addressed as 'grim Destiny' in the contest of life's game.
Key passages
“I give and go, grim Destiny—I play Upon this checker-board of Night and Day The dark game with thee, but the day will come When one will turn the Board the other way.”
I engage in this somber game with you, harsh Fate, moving across the board of time, but eventually someone will flip the board and end the match.
The speaker acknowledges a struggle with destiny but anticipates a final reversal.