In Chapter 47, Poem 50 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the candle serves as a poignant metaphor for the mystical lover's internal state of secret grief. The poem explores the paradox of outward cheerfulness or acceptance ('I laugh') alongside continuous internal sorrow ('at all times I weep').

Key Themes:

• Inward and Secret Mourning (گریه درون جان): Unlike worldly grief, the lover's weeping is entirely hidden. Because 'no one is aware' of the pain, the tears are directed inward, deep into the soul, representing the private, sacred nature of mystical suffering.
• Weeping Hidden from Oneself (ز خود نهان): The sorrow is so profound and transcendent that it bypasses the ego or conscious self, described as weeping 'hidden from myself.'
• The Paradox of Laughter and Tears: The candle's bright, flickering flame is compared to a smile or laugh, while its melting wax represents tears. This duality reflects the lover's simultaneous spiritual joy and the agony of separation.