The title of the book refers to a 17th century poem of the Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi called Kabul.

Here is the translation of the poem. It's not necessarily exact, but it's a good approximation. Look at the 4th paragraph to see the referral.

Kabul

Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains
And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies
Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes
But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust

My song exhalts her dazzling tulips
And at the beauty of her trees, I blush
How sparkling the water flows from Pul-I Bastaan!
May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!

Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach Paradise
For her mountains brought him close to the delights of heaven
From the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protection
Each stone is there more precious than the treasure of Shayagan

Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls

Her laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowers
Her nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hair
Her melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songs
Ardent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throats

And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara
And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures
Permalink | Report

I'm not EXACTLY sure but I have a pretty good idea of what it might mean. For the title...
Ever heard of the saying: diamond in the rough?
It's like...
Within Kabul with all the war and bad stuff happening, there's people who are still radiant inside and shine like a thousand splendid suns.
Linked to the poem, I think that it's comparing the people who "shine" to Kabul. The poem is hinting that everything else around Kabul is not good (like, ARID mountains or ENVIOUS thorns) and while Kabul is beautiful. That the moonlight bouncing off the roofs of Kabul = night is more wicked and the negative happenings outside. Something bout the suns behind the walls = the person is still glowing from the inside in a good way.
Source(s):
It came directly from my head ;o

Permalink | Report