Word Meaning
आइना-दार
ā'īna-dār
Meaning
Reflecting, revealing, or holding up a mirror; an indicator or manifestor.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'ā'īna-dār' literally refers to a mirror-bearer (an attendant holding a mirror), but idiomatically signifies anything that clearly displays, reflects, or bears testimony to a state. In this couplet by Ghalib, the poet's bewildered footprint in the beloved's street becomes an 'ā'īna-dār', revealing and visually displaying his lost, mesmerized condition.
Etymology
Persian: compound of 'ā'īna' (mirror) and the agent suffix '-dār' (holder, possessor, from dāshtan).
Usage
Commonly invoked in mystical and romantic ghazals where an external object (like a tear or footprint) faithfully reflects an interior, metaphysical reality.
Examples
The morning dew is an indicator of the garden's purity.
Tears are mirrors reflecting inner sorrow.