आईना-दारी

Meaning

Mirror-holding, beholding oneself in a mirror, reflection, or manifesting beauty.

Detailed Meaning

In Persian and Urdu poetics, 'aa'ina-daari' refers literally to holding or gazing into a mirror, and metaphorically to reflecting or manifesting qualities such as beauty or truth. In this couplet by Ghalib, 'mahv-e-aaina-daari' describes the beloved who is completely absorbed in self-admiration before the glass, unaware of the lover's ardent gaze. It captures the paradox of the beloved being entranced by their own image while the lover remains entranced by the spectacle of the beloved.

Etymology

Persian: 'aa'ina' (mirror) + 'daar' (holder, stem of daashtan) + abstract noun suffix '-i'.

Usage

A frequent motif in classical ghazal to portray either self-absorbed beauty (khud-pasandi) or the lover acting as a passive reflector of the beloved's splendor.

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Related Words