In Section 41 of Farid al-Din Attar's Khosrow Nameh, the reed-flute (ney) is described through a series of vivid and paradoxical metaphors. Unlike Rumi's later mystical allegory of the ney in the Masnavi—which focuses on the soul's exile from its divine origin—Attar's description focuses on the physical and material paradoxes of the instrument. He describes it as a 'tongueless lamenter' that has no soul (jan) of its own but lives and breathes through the breath (bad) of the musician. It is portrayed as a 'peacock-splendored snake' and a wonder companion to the mouth, receiving wind and transforming it into soul-stirring, sweet melodies that resonate with the world.