न हो हुस्न-ए-तमाशा-दोस्त रुस्वा बेवफ़ाई का ब-मोहर-ए-सद-नज़र साबित है दा'वा पारसाई का
— Mirza Ghalib
Meaning

Beauty that loves public display should not be disgraced for unfaithfulness, as its claim to chastity is confirmed by the seal of a hundred watching eyes.

Explanation

Here, the poet uses delicious irony to poke fun at a beloved who loves the limelight yet insists on claiming modesty and virtue. The poet wittily remarks that their claim of purity is authenticated not by reserve, but by the 'stamp' of a hundred admiring eyes that have feasted upon them. It is a sharp, playful critique of vanity, capturing the paradox of someone whose innocence is supposedly certified by the very gaze of the crowd.

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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