अफ़सुर्दा

Meaning

Dejected, melancholic, dispirited, or withered.

Detailed Meaning

Literally meaning congealed, frozen, or withered, in Persian and Urdu poetry it primarily conveys an emotional state of numbness, dejection, or deep melancholy. In this couplet, 'dil-e-afsurda' refers to a cheerless, desolate heart that resembles the dark prison cell of Hazrat Yusuf, faintly illuminated only by the lingering memory of the beloved.

Etymology

Persian 'afsurdah' (افسرده), past participle of 'afsurdan' (افسردن), meaning to freeze, wither, or become despondent.

Usage

In the ghazal tradition, it conventionally portrays the lover's emotionally spent, cold, or lifeless inner world.

Examples

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Related Words