batch.motif.sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg-l1490-l1513
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg-l1490-l1513
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
passage_locator:
label: MIRROR AND FACE / THE COMING OF THE BELOVED / THE WAYS OF LOVE / THE BEAUTY
OF ZULAIKHA; lines 1490-1513
start: '1490'
end: '1513'
translation: 'The Persian Mystics: Jámí'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage describes Zulaikha’s beauty through a sequence of comparisons:
her face as a paradisal garden, her chin as a well containing the Water of Life
that can endanger a thirsty sage, her neck and shoulders as surpassing ivory,
rose, and jasmine, her breasts as pure orbs and pomegranates, and her arms as
refined silver adorned with amulets likened to holy hearts in prayer.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Zulaikha’s face is compared to the garden of Iram with roses of many hues.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Dark moles on her face are compared to Moorish boys playing in rose-beds.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Her chin is described as having a well containing the Water of Life.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: A thirsty sage approaching the well would feel spray before reaching the brink,
but would lose his soul if he came nearer.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The well associated with her chin is also described as a whirlpool.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Her neck is described as ivory, and a fawn is drawn toward it with tribute
to beauty.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: A rose is described as hanging its head before the brightness of her skin
and shoulders, which are said to be fairer than jasmine.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Her breasts are compared to pure orbs, twin bubbles from fount Kafur, and
two young pomegranates on one spray.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Her arms are compared to thrice-purified silver, and a touchstone is said
to be proved false when testing them.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Pearl-pure amulets fastened on her arms are identified by comparison as the
hearts of holy people absorbed in prayer.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Zulaikha
description: The woman whose beauty is described throughout the passage.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: thirsty sage
description: A hypothetical sage who approaches the well associated with Zulaikha’s
chin and risks losing his soul if he comes too near.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: fawn
description: A fawn drawn toward Zulaikha’s ivory neck with tribute to beauty.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: holy people absorbed in prayer
description: Holy people whose hearts are compared to pearl-pure amulets on Zulaikha’s
arms.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: beautiful beloved figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage centers on Zulaikha’s extraordinary beauty and describes her
features through idealized natural and precious images.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:2
label: thirsting seeker
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The sage is imagined approaching the Water of Life in thirst and facing danger
if he draws nearer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: creature drawn by beauty
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The fawn is said to be drawn to Zulaikha’s neck with tribute to beauty.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: devotional figures
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The holy are described as absorbed in prayer, and their hearts are compared
to amulets.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: garden of Iram
literal_form: garden with roses of every hue
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: Water of Life
literal_form: water in the well of Zulaikha’s chin
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: well and whirlpool
literal_form: well containing life-giving water that is also a whirlpool
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: rose and jasmine
literal_form: flowers used to describe and compare Zulaikha’s complexion and shoulders
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: pomegranates
literal_form: two young pomegranates on one spray
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: silver
literal_form: silver used to describe Zulaikha’s chin and arms
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: sym:7
label: amulets as holy hearts
literal_form: pearl-pure amulets fastened on Zulaikha’s arms, compared to hearts
of the holy in prayer
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Description of Zulaikha’s face and chin
summary: Zulaikha’s face is presented through garden and rose imagery, while her
chin is described as a well containing the Water of Life that can imperil a thirsty
sage.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Description of neck, shoulders, breasts, and arms
summary: Zulaikha’s neck, shoulders, breasts, and arms are described with images
of ivory, flowers, pure light, fount Kafur, pomegranates, silver, and amulets
like holy hearts in prayer.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: beloved as overwhelming beauty
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: The passage presents Zulaikha’s beauty as surpassing natural and precious
objects and as powerful enough to draw creatures and endanger a sage’s soul.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage itself describes beauty through hyperbolic imagery; identifying
the beloved as divine is supported only by the broader Sufi framing and the devotional
language within the passage, so the taxonomy link requires review.
- id: motif:2
label: life-giving water as perilous attraction
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Water of Life appears in a well that attracts a thirsty sage, yet the
same place is also a whirlpool where he would lose his soul if he approached too
closely.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as a poetic comparison to Zulaikha’s chin rather
than a narrative episode.
- id: motif:3
label: devotional hearts as ornaments of the beloved
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The pearl-pure amulets on Zulaikha’s arms are compared to the hearts of holy
people absorbed in prayer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a compact metaphor; its broader ritual or mystical significance
is not explained in the passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1490-1495
quote_or_summary: Zulaikha’s face is compared to the garden of Iram, with roses
of every hue, and her dark moles are compared to Moorish boys among rose-beds.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1496-1501
quote_or_summary: Her chin is described as a silver well containing the Water of
Life; a thirsty sage approaching it would feel spray, but if he came nearer his
soul would be lost, since it is both a well and a whirlpool.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1502-1505
quote_or_summary: Her neck is described as ivory; a fawn is drawn to it, and a rose
lowers its head before the gleam of her skin and shoulders fairer than jasmine.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1506-1509
quote_or_summary: Her breasts are compared to pure orbs, twin bubbles newly risen
from fount Kafur, and two young pomegranates on one spray beyond the reach of
bold hope.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized for extraction.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1510-1513
quote_or_summary: Her arms are likened to thrice-purified silver that falsifies
the touchstone, and pearl-pure amulets on them are compared to the hearts of the
holy absorbed in prayer.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized for extraction.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The literal imagery is clear, but motif classification is interpretive because
the passage is primarily a poetic blazon rather than a narrative myth episode.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata; no external comparisons added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg__l1490-l1513
passage_sha256=5bb5b4dffd05d03e7c536392d64f826ba74c3f4baefbbf303093c5dab35ceb6c