Overview

In Chapter 35, Poem 21 of the Mokhtar Nameh, Farid al-Din Attar explores the absolute perfection of the Beloved's beauty and the ineffability of the divine essence. The poem employs two classical Persian poetic tropes: the 'indescribable mouth' of the Beloved and the 'humiliation of the sun' in the presence of divine light.

Key Concepts

• The Ineffable Mouth (شرح دهن): In mystical Persian poetry, the Beloved's mouth represents the ultimate mystery or non-existence from which all creation emerges. It is described as infinitesimally small, making any attempt to describe or explain it an impossible task.
• Cosmic Humiliation of the Sun: The sun, traditionally the symbol of supreme worldly sovereignty and light, is reduced to shame and decline (زوال) when confronted with the incomparable radiance of the Beloved's countenance.