Wordplay of Rasta (Sprouted) and Basta (Closed)

In Chapter 37, Poem 14 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet employs a symmetrical wordplay utilizing the homophonic and thematic contrast between rasta (رسته - sprouted/grown) and basta (بسته - closed/bound) to express an all-encompassing devotion to the beloved:

• The Sprouted (Rasta): This refers to the khatt (خط), the newly sprouted downy facial hair of the beloved, representing the manifest, visible aspect of beauty and Divine manifestation in the material world.
• The Closed (Basta): This refers to the beloved's small, closed mouth (dahan-e baste), which in classical Persian poetry represents the mystery of non-existence, silence, and the transcendent, unknowable Divine Essence.

Mystical Significance

By declaring love for both the 'sprouted' and the 'closed,' the lover embraces the Divine in its entirety:

1. Immanence (Khatt): Loving the manifest writing of creation and the beauty that has spr...