Concept

The Wordplay of Khat (Down/Script) and Varaq (Petal/Page) in Mokhtar Nameh (Chapter 37, Poem 19)

In Poem 19 of Mokhtar Nameh's Chapter 37, Attar employs a sophisticated double entendre (Iham) using the words 'khat' (خط) and 'varaq' (ورق). 'Khat' refers simultaneously to the emerging facial hair (down) on the beloved's face and to a written line or script. 'Varaq' means both a flower petal (representing the beloved's soft cheek) and a page of paper. The poem cleverly justifies the appearance of the 'khat' on the beloved's face by arguing that a line of script naturally requires a page to be written upon.

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Updated 2026-07-06

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course