In Poem 102 of Chapter 47 of the Mokhtar Nameh, Attar utilizes the metaphor of the candle to express the existential state of the mystical lover enduring separation.

Core Themes

• The Book of Separation (Kitab-i Hijr): Reading the 'book of separation' represents a continuous, active engagement with the pain of being apart from the Beloved. This state is accompanied by tears shed in the hope of ultimate union (visal).
• The Candle Metaphor: The lover's bewildered state (sar-gashta) is compared to a candle. For a candle, remaining or existing (mandand) is intrinsically bound to burning (sukhtand).
• Existential Burning: The lover declares, 'I must burn as long as I remain.' This emphasizes that in the path of divine love, spiritual existence and the agony of longing are inseparable.