--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Death is a great tyrant; none can…" description: "\"“Death is a great tyrant; none can overthrow him. Life is a priceless ruby; none can afford it. Eternity is a noble mistress; none can woo her.”\" — Mat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/matshona-dhliwayo-52_death_death-is-a-great-tyrant-none-can-overthr_132440.jpg" --- # Death is a great tyrant; none can overthrow him. Life is a… ![“Death is a great tyrant; none can overthrow him. Life is a priceless ruby; none can afford it. Eternity is a noble mistress; none can woo her.” quote by Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/matshona-dhliwayo-52_death_death-is-a-great-tyrant-none-can-overthr_132440.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/matshona-dhliwayo-52_death_death-is-a-great-tyrant-none-can-overthr_132440.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/matshona-dhliwayo-52_death_death-is-a-great-tyrant-none-can-overthr_132440.jpg) > ““Death is a great tyrant; none can overthrow him. Life is a priceless ruby; none can afford it. Eternity is a noble mistress; none can woo her.”” [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Death dominates, life is precious yet unaffordable, and eternity is unattainable, highlighting life's fleeting value. **In simple terms:** Death rules, life is priceless, eternity is beyond reach. Key Takeaway Cherish life’s rarity and act wisely. Themes mortality value of life eternity Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal planning - legacy building - mindful living Key Concepts philosophy existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance awareness of mortality? - What gives life meaning? A Different Perspective May induce fatalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-quote/) [Death quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-quotes/) [Death-quotations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-quotations/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-quotes/) [Matshona-dhliwayo-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matshona-dhliwayo-quotes/) [Tyrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrant/) ## Related quotes > [“Time is your acquaintance, life is your friend, death is your enemy, and existence is your soulmate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/time-is-your-acquaintance-life-is-your-friend-death-is-your-enemy-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“When a great man dies, nations mourn. 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Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-s-murthy/) > [“Death is tired of waiting for me. Now, I must leave before it gets angry and curses me with immortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/death-is-tired-of-waiting-for-me-now-i-must-leave-before-it-gets/) [Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/) > [“The aim of all life is death. Life is the apprenticeship that we serve preparing for death. Life is the fleeting spark of divinity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-aim-of-all-life-is-death-life-is-the-apprenticeship-that-we-serve/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Student: Master, you said that death is very cunning... Master: Yes, death is so cunning that it made everyone accept the lie that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/student-master-you-said-that-death-is-very-cunning-master-yes-death/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Death gives the last smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/death-gives-the-last-smile/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [“In the vast spectrum of space-time’s coeternal continuum, I am but a glint of bundled energy held together by the translucent fiber of creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/in-the-vast-spectrum-of-space-time-s-coeternal-continuum-i-am-but-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“If I am not mistaken, if all the signs which have been amassed are precursors of a new overthrow in my life, well then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/if-i-am-not-mistaken-if-all-the-signs-which-have-been-amassed-are/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) ## More by Matshona Dhliwayo > [“Intelligence says think. Understanding says ponder. Insight says perceive. Enlightenment says overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/intelligence-says-think-understanding-says-ponder-insight-says/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Love is the heart’s best tenant; it always pays its rent on time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/love-is-the-heart-s-best-tenant-it-always-pays-its-rent-on-time/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Your mind has the intellect to lift the world, your heart has the wisdom to better the world, and your soul has the genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-mind-has-the-intellect-to-lift-the-world-your-heart-has-the/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“When a wolf is hungry it befriends sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/when-a-wolf-is-hungry-it-befriends-sheep/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“If you try to measure love's power, you will run out of measuring tape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/if-you-try-to-measure-love-s-power-you-will-run-out-of-measuring-tape/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Your highest thoughts hold the key to your highest rewards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-highest-thoughts-hold-the-key-to-your-highest-rewards/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Your soul is your paintbrush, your world is your canvass, your life is your masterpiece.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-soul-is-your-paintbrush-your-world-is-your-canvass-your-life-is/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Truth sees the world as it is; hope sees the world as it could be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/truth-sees-the-world-as-it-is-hope-sees-the-world-as-it-could-be/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Falling in love is not the problem; hitting your head on the way down is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/falling-in-love-is-not-the-problem-hitting-your-head-on-the-way-down/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Life is the school of the wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/life-is-the-school-of-the-wise/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Spend time with people who enrich your mind, nourish your heart, and illuminate your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/spend-time-with-people-who-enrich-your-mind-nourish-your-heart-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“You have the world in your hands if you have the universe in your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-have-the-world-in-your-hands-if-you-have-the-universe-in-your-soul/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“A happy wife is the key to a happy home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-happy-wife-is-the-key-to-a-happy-home/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“You cannot fast-forward time, you cannot rewind it, and you cannot pause it; you can only waste or benefit from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-cannot-fast-forward-time-you-cannot-rewind-it-and-you-cannot/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“In knowledge there is strength, in understanding there is might, and in wisdom there is power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/in-knowledge-there-is-strength-in-understanding-there-is-might-and-in/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) [Explore all 1,907 Matshona Dhliwayo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. 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