In Chapter 42, Poem 23 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the speaker expresses the enduring pain and regret in their wounded heart, noting that their soul departed while the pain remained. The poem highlights the futility of attempting to follow the Beloved 'like a shadow' unless the Beloved has first paved the way. This illustrates a core theme in Sufi literature: the absolute dependence of the seeker on Divine Guidance (grace), rendering their own unguided efforts and longing to reach the Beloved ultimately insufficient.