Life, Death, and Time: Contemplating Mortality in Persian Poetry

Persian poetry, rich with mysticism, beauty, and philosophical insight, has long served as a mirror reflecting the deepest truths of human existence. Among its most enduring and haunting themes are life, death, and the relentless passage of time. From the epics of Ferdowsi to the melancholic quatrains of Khayyam, Persian poets have asked the same timeless questions: What does it mean to live well? What awaits after death? How do we reconcile the brevity of life with the longing for meaning?

The Dance of Time: Fleeting Moments and Eternal Questions

Time in Persian verse is both an enemy and a muse. It flows like a river—beautiful, powerful, and indifferent.

“This world is a caravanserai—a night's stop and gone.
Life, a shadow that flits across the wall.”
— Omar Khayyam

Khayyam, perhaps more than any other poet, voiced the existential anxiety of time’s passing. In his Rubaiyat, time mocks human ambition, topples kings and beggars alike, and teaches us to drink wine and seize the now—carpe diem, Persian-style.

But this isn't hedonism. Rather, it's a philosophical resignation to impermanence. The world is transient, so value the moment and be mindful of what truly matters.

Life as a Test, a Journey, and a Dream

In Islamic-Persian cosmology, life is often portrayed as a test—a temporary realm through which the soul must journey toward the Divine. This view finds eloquent expression in Rumi’s Masnavi:

“This world is a mountain, and your actions the shout;
The echo returns to …