Word Meaning
अरक़-आलूद
araq-ālūd
Meaning
Covered with perspiration; drenched in sweat.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'araq-ālūd' characterizes something soaked or glistening with perspiration, especially the flushed face of the beloved. In this couplet, it describes the beloved's radiant, sweat-drenched countenance, whose excessive moisture is poetically blamed for making even the ground or surface of the mirror damp. Sweat droplets in this tradition are commonly celebrated as pearls or fresh dew enhancing beauty.
Etymology
Compound of Arabic 'araq' (عرق, meaning sweat or perspiration) and the Persian suffix '-ālūd' (آلود, meaning smeared, stained, or covered with).
Usage
Conventionally deployed in ghazal poetry to praise the flushed, dewy complexion of the beloved, portraying droplets of sweat as lustrous pearls.
Examples
the beloved's sweat-drenched cheek
a brow glistening with perspiration