In Poem 43 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the candle serves as a metaphor for the spiritual seeker's internal distress and consuming sorrow:

• Sorrow and Agitation: The seeker is gradually burnt by grief and agitated by perpetual weeping, mimicking the melting and flickering of a burning candle.
• The Quest for Sincerity (Sadq): Just as a candle's flame might flicker without achieving a pure, steady light, the seeker has not found the 'light of sincerity' (nur-e sadq) even for a brief moment, signifying an ongoing struggle for spiritual purity.
• Loss of the Wick (Sar-reshteh): The candle 'losing its thread' (wick) in the fire represents the seeker's complete dissolution and loss of self-control or direction when fully engulfed by the intense fire of spiritual tribulation.