Poetry by Tayeh in Exile – My friend, I don’t know (1)

In this passage, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III recites a deeply reflective poem about the meaning of life and death, expressing the fleeting nature of human existence and the brevity of time.
He begins by saying that he does not know how or when life will end, but he knows that all people walk the same path — the path that leads to death — and that life is like vapor or lightning: brief and quickly gone.
His words combine realism with spirituality, calling people to reflect on the truth of mortality and not to attach themselves to worldly glory, wealth, or titles, for all will fade when a person finally rests in the dust of the earth.
The poem carries a spirit of calm surrender to God’s will, portraying the heart’s transition from the noise and passions of life to stillness and peace, once earthly loves and hatreds have vanished.
The Pope reminds listeners that life, no matter how long, is short, and that true wisdom is to live prepared, placing one’s hope in eternity rather than in the passing world.
The deep spiritual message of these verses is a call to humility, spiritual awareness, and the understanding that death is not an end but a passage into eternal life, where the soul finds true peace and rest.