Overview

In Chapter 37, Poem 18 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet describes a mystical encounter where the Divine Beloved's beauty eclipses the celestial maidens of Paradise. The dialogue employs the metaphors of red and green scripts to signify the completion and validation of this spiritual truth.

Key Metaphors and Symbolism

• The Overthrow of Paradise (حور سرشت / حوران بهشت): The Beloved's arrival to 'put an end to the kingdom of the houris' symbolizes how direct mystical union with the Divine Source renders secondary, physical rewards of Paradise (like the houris) obsolete.
• The Red Script (خط سرخ): Symbolizes a definitive, final, or sovereign decree—often associated with passion, blood, sacrifice, or absolute annihilation (fana) of the ego.
• The Green Script (خط سبز): Represents the fresh down (khatt) on the beloved's face, symbolizing spiritual rejuvenation, divine mercy, and the living writing of creation that fulfills and endorses the love...