Summary of Themes

In Poem 11 of Farid al-Din Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet uses astronomical and cosmic imagery to express the themes of divine longing and sweet gratitude (shokr). The entire universe is depicted as being in a state of ecstatic motion, driven by the desire for divine attention and the sweetness of thanking the Creator.

The Hopeful Sun

Attar personifies the sun as a wanderer revolving through the heavens. Its endless movement is not a mechanical orbit, but a tireless quest motivated by the hope of receiving a single glance (nazar) from the Divine. This underscores the Sufi idea that all cosmic forces are conscious seekers of divine grace.

The Parrot of the Heavens and Sweet Gratitude

The poet introduces the motif of the parrot of the heavens (tuti-ye falak), which symbolizes the celestial sphere or the elevated soul. Upon tasting the sweetness of praising and thanking God (shokr), represented metaphorically as sugar, this celestial entity sp...