Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

world as temporary lodging

world_as_temporary_lodging

A motif of the Mystical Quest and Interior Journey family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

1 traditions


sufi

  • The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam EDWARD FITZGERALD. / THE FITZGERALD FIRST EDITION / VIII. / XIII.; lines 1075-1104 confidence: high

    The world is a battered caravanserai with alternate night and day as doorways; sultans with pomp stay briefly and go on their way.

    The world is compared to a caravanserai where sultans abide only briefly before departing.

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  • The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCES IN THE FOLLOWING PARALLELS / ANALYSIS OF EDWARD FITZGERALD'S QUATRAINS / XIII. / XVII.; lines 2518-2533 confidence: high

    Fitzgerald's quatrain: “Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai / Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day,” where sultans dwell until a destined hour and depart.

    Both the quatrain and the cited parallel depict the world as a caravanserai or lodging where occupants rest temporarily.

    read in the book