Concept

The Wordplay of Khat (Facial Down and Script) in Mokhtar Nameh (Chapter 37, Poem 13)

In Chapter 37, Poem 13 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet employs a sophisticated wordplay on the word 'Khat' (خط). The term means both 'script' (or handwriting) and the 'facial down' of a young beloved. The poem identifies the beloved's 'Khat' (facial down) as the cause of the speaker's sin, which consequently blackens their 'divan' (book of deeds). This creates a clever dual imagery: just as 'script' literally blackens the pages of a physical book, the beloved's 'down' metaphorically blackens the speaker's spiritual record through the sins of earthly love.

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Updated 2026-07-06

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course