Paik-e-nigah Chashma-e-haiwan Dahan Mein Hai — Khwaja Haidar Ali Aatish
Meaning
The messenger of my gaze dwells in his mouth, where the fountain of eternal life resides; if only it could escape safely from the pit of that dimpled chin.
Explanation
Imagine the glance as a messenger travelling across the beloved's face. The poet pictures a deep well in the chin, a dimple so inviting it feels like a danger one might fall into. If this messenger of the eyes somehow escapes that well, slipping past its pull, then it reaches the mouth, which holds the water of eternal life. So the lover's gaze makes a perilous journey: first it must survive the trap of the chin's dimple, and only then can it taste the sweetness and immortality waiting at the beloved's lips. It's a playful way of saying the beloved's beauty is full of sweet dangers and heavenly rewards, both at once.
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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