Concept Overview

In Chapter 35, Poem 44 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet depicts the lover's absolute helplessness and total submission to the beloved. The beloved's tresses are metaphorically described as chains (zanjir) that trap the lover's heart.

Key Symbolism

• Chain-Like Tresses (Zolf-e chu zanjir): The tresses act as a snare from which escape is impossible, holding the heart captive.
• Feet Stuck in Pitch (Do pay dar qir): Symbolizes utter immobility, helplessness, and the inability to escape the path of love once the heart is ensnared.
• Burnt Liver (Jagar-e sukhte): Represents the profound pain, grief, and consumption of the lover's life force, which is paradoxically presented as the only gain or 'profit' (towfir) of love.