I have neither courage nor good fortune, neither heart nor eyes; consequently, I never sought, never found, never understood, nor ever saw anything.
This couplet is a poignant confession of utter helplessness and quiet surrender, woven with stunning poetic symmetry. The poet pairs four inner deficits—lacking courage, fate, heart, and sight—directly with four missed possibilities: never seeking, finding, understanding, or truly seeing life or the divine beloved. It reads like an honest sigh shared with a dear friend, mourning an unlived life not with bitter blame toward the world, but with an ache over one's own profound incapacity.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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