Word Meaning
आईना-दीवार
ā'īna-dīvār
Meaning
A mirrored wall; dazzling yet fragile, brittle, and superficial.
Detailed Meaning
Literally signifies a wall panelled or inlaid with mirrors, typical of grand ornamental palaces. In Iqbal's verse, it serves as a metaphor for modern Western civilization ('aiwān-e-farang'), describing it as visually brilliant and opulent yet spiritually brittle, brittle as glass, and prone to shattering. The image captures the paradox of dazzling exterior splendor combined with structural frailty.
Etymology
Persian: āyīna (mirror) + dīvār (wall).
Usage
In Urdu poetry, it frequently symbolizes deceptive grandeur, narcissism, or dazzling yet precarious worldly splendor.
Examples
The glittering palace was merely a fragile mirror-wall.
Behind that mirror-wall lies an emptiness waiting to shatter.