# Chapter XXXIV explained — The Luzumiyat

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

## What happens

The speaker expresses a wish for the tale of Ababil to be true, longing for a purging scourge that would cleanse both himself and his brothers.

## Key lines

> Of Ababil! I would the tale were true⁠— Would all the birds were such winged furies too; The scourging and the purging were a boon For me, O my dear Brothers, and for you.

I wish the story of the Ababil birds were real, and that all birds were like those avenging creatures; a cleansing punishment would be a blessing for both me and you, my dear brothers.

_The speaker invokes the Ababil legend as a metaphor for divine retribution and purification._

## Links

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