This poem by Attar of Nishapur explores the profound mystical paradox of divine revelation and the subsequent 'blindness' or closing of the spiritual lover's eyes.

Key Concepts

• The Agony of the Candle Metaphor: The lover's state is compared to a candle that drowns in its own tears while burning. This represents the duality of intense pain (burning) and intense sorrow (tears) that characterizes the path of divine love.
• The Paradox of Beholding: The lover longs for a lifetime to see the face of the Divine. However, when the Beloved's face is finally revealed, the lover's eyes are sewed shut.
• Mystical Interpretation: This closing of the eyes (dideh bar-dukhtan) symbolizes several spiritual phenomena:
  1. Fana (Self-Effacement): The annihilation of individual consciousness and sensory perception when confronted with the overwhelming light of Divine Reality.
  2. Detachment from the World: Having witnessed the ultimate beauty, the mystic's eyes are close...