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The Metaphor of the Narrow Mouth and Inexpressibility in Attar's Mokhtar Nameh (Chapter 38, Poem 26)
In Chapter 38, Poem 26 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet utilizes the metaphor of the beloved's 'narrow mouth' (تنگ دهان) to symbolize the ineffable nature of divine love and the ultimate reality. The speaker declares an inability to speak of this mouth because 'the mouth is narrow, it cannot emerge from it.' In Sufi literature, the narrow mouth often represents the hidden, incomprehensible essence of the Divine. This poem illustrates the mystical concept that human language and intellect are too limited (or 'narrow') to articulate or encompass the absolute truth.
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Updated 2026-07-06
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Humanities
Literature
Persian Literature Prerequisite Course