Persian Flaw

asghar62
by asghar62
06-May-2009
 

The other day I was watching one of the Star Trek Enterprise "The Next Generation" episodes (episode: Time Squared); Yes I was preparing myself for the upcoming new Star Trek Movie;  In one scene, Commander Riker (Number One) asked Capt. Picard: “Is this your Persian Flaw?”

This caused me to search for the meaning of that statement and I found this:

"expression referring to the purported practice of Persian rug makers to deliberately put one flaw in every carpet, because only God is entitled to be perfect and it would be arrogant for a mortal to aspire to perfection.”

I have also found this site:

//www.persianflaw.com/default.htm

Does anyone know where this is originated from? What is "Persian Flaw" called in Farsi? Any idea?

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Anahid Hojjati

Is "Khal e Sorat" in Hafez Poetry some kind of "Persian Flaw" ?

by Anahid Hojjati on

I don't know where the term "Persian Flaw" originated from.  However, I am thinking that in Poetry of Hafez, he uses the word "Khal" similar to "Persian Flaw".  A quick look into Hafez potery shows many instances of his use of the word"Khal" and all Hafez attributes to it. Some examples are:

گر ز دست زلف مشکینت خطایی رفت رفت       ور ز هندوی شما برما جفایی رفت رفت
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
در خم زلف تو آن خال سیه دانی چیست           نقطه دوده که در حلقه جیم افتادست
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- it seems that even though Hafez talks about "Jafa" from "hendouyeh shoma" (Khal Hendou), but Hafez also mentions that he is attracted to that khal.  Note the following:

زلف او دامست و خالش دانه آن دام و من           بر امید دانه افتاده ام در دام دوست

so it is as if at least according to Hafez, the flaw is what is in many instances the most attractive point.  Warning; I am no expert in Hafez.  So what I have written here is from few minutes of looking into Hafez poetry.  I know in San Francisco Bay area, many friends take Hafez classes, so may be they can expand on this.  As far as how Persian rug makers put one flaw in every rug, I would have to do more research on this.  What appears to one person as flaw might be attractive to another rug buyer because it makes the rug unique just like "Khal" does that for a person.

Another imperfection that Hafez writes about is سیب زنخدان

Again, Hafez uses this as something that it is intriguing where he writes ببین که سیب زنخدان تو چه میگوید                  هزار یوسف مصری فتاده در چه ماست