Word Meaning
अरक़-फ़िशानी
'araq-fishānī
Meaning
Dripping or scattering of sweat or moisture drops.
Detailed Meaning
A compound noun denoting the dripping, sprinkling, or scattering of beads of perspiration or dew. In classical Urdu ghazal, it describes the glistening drops of sweat upon the beloved's brow or tresses, often likened to pearls or shooting stars. In this couplet, moisture falling from the hair is metaphorically compared to falling stars, creating an omen that alarms the poet.
Etymology
Arabic 'araq' (sweat, moisture) + Persian 'fishānī' (from fishāndan, to scatter or shed).
Usage
A common aesthetic motif in ghazal poetry used to describe delicate perspiration on the beloved's forehead or hair, evoking drops that shine like pearls.
Examples
The spectacle of sweet perspiration dripping from the beloved's brow
Pearls scattered all around due to the dripping of dewy moisture