Overview

In Section 55 of Jami's Tuhfat al-Ahrar (within the Haft Awrang), a Zangi of fearsome, demonic appearance finds a dust-covered mirror on the road, wipes it clean with his skirt, and beholds a human face reflected in its stainless surface. This is a distinct retelling of the classic Zangi-and-mirror motif, separate from the version Jami gives elsewhere in the Haft Awrang.

Narrative Structure

• The Discovery: The Zangi finds a discarded, dusty mirror and polishes it until it is clean and bright.
• The Reflection: Seeing his own face, he mistakes the truthful image for a defect belonging to the mirror rather than recognizing himself.
• The Projection: He spits on the clean surface, casts the mirror down in the dust, and declares that people abandoned it on the road because of its own worthlessness and ugliness.

Key Themes

• Self-Delusion and Denial: The Zangi cannot accept that the ugliness he perceives is his own.
• Projection of Flaws:...