Wordplay on Eyebrow and Honor

In Chapter 36, Poem 3 of Attar's Mokhtar Nameh, the poet employs a brilliant paronomasia (tajnis) playing on the phonetic and semantic similarities between:

1. Abroo (ابرو): Eyebrow
2. Ab-e roo (آب رو): Honor or dignity (literally 'water of the face')

The beloved's eyebrow (abroo) is depicted as the agent that spills or pours the lover's honor (ab-e roo) onto the dust.

The Double Meaning of Taq (طاق)

The poet justifies this loss of honor by stating that the beloved's eyebrow is constantly 'taq' in beauty:

• Taq (طاق) denotes being unparalleled or unique.
• Structurally, taq also refers to an arch or vault, perfectly mirroring the physical shape of the eyebrow.

This dual-layered wordplay highlights how the physical perfection and arched shape of the beloved's eyebrow directly cause the annihilation of the lover's ego and social standing.