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In translating this line, the translator recalls the word "Fate",
which he introduced in the first line of the first stanza, as a
reminder that it is by Fate that our lives are governed, and that no
one can control his own fate however rich, mighty, and powerful he may
be. For all these worldly forces cannot stand against the supernatural
powers of Fate. Since Fate rules and regulates the life of man, it is
impossible to subordinate it to man's ever-changing desires and
ambitions. The translator's use of "meed" in the second line of the
stanza, a word used only in poetic diction, determines the role Fate
plays in man's life. Fate does not grant man whatever he desires or
opts for; rather what is predestined for him to achieve, and this much
man must be willing to accept in complete surrender and submission. If
man aspires to attain what is not predestined for him, he will be
building an "airy tower" upon a "passing wave". The translator's
exquisite image, his fineness of perception, and his elegance and
briskness of style deserve our appreciation.
In the last line of the Arabic original text, the poet rounds up
the poem by stating explicitly and unequivocally the gist of the whole
matter, ie. man's predicament in this life and his complete uncertainty
about life after death. The poet's note is decisive, and his verdict,
final. The subject-predicate antithesis runs through the entire line
heralding the final message the poet wants to voice. It is an epitome
of the poet's comment on life, living and death. The poet gives his
final pronouncements on life, death and man. He emphatically asserts
that life is sleep, and death, wakefulness, and man is but an
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