The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapter
C explained
The poet reflects on the moon's cyclical waxing and waning, observing that while it will continue to rise and look upon the garden long after humanity is gone, its search for any one person will be in vain.
What happens
The poet reflects on the moon's cyclical waxing and waning, observing that while it will continue to rise and look upon the garden long after humanity is gone, its search for any one person will be in vain.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Transience
The moon's eternal cycle contrasts with human mortality, as it will continue to rise and look for us in vain after we are gone.
Key passages
“Yon rising Moon that looks for us again— How oft hereafter will she wax and wane; How oft hereafter rising look for us Through this same Garden—and for one in vain!”
That rising moon, which now appears to seek us out, will many times in the future grow full and fade; and many times it will rise and gaze upon this same garden, searching for us—but for one person, it will search in vain.
The poet emphasizes the indifference of nature to individual human existence.