In this poem, Attar uses the classic Persian literary motifs of the beloved's 'tresses' (zolf) and 'face' (rokh) to symbolize the spiritual struggle of the seeker. The dark tresses cast a 'shadow' of distress and multiplicity that conceals the divine 'sun' (the face). The poem expresses the paradox of longing for the divine revelation (the face) while being entangled in and obstructed by the manifestations or veils (the tresses) that emanate from the same beloved.