Word Meaning
आज-कल
aaj-kal
hiadverb
Meaning
Nowadays, these days, or at present; in recent times.
Detailed Meaning
The compound 'aaj-kal' refers to the present era, recently, or nowadays. In the given couplet, it indicates the contemporary or recent state where sorrows have thoroughly ruined the thriving habitation of the lover's heart. It sets a temporal contrast between past prosperity and present desolation.
Etymology
Hindustani compound of 'aaj' (from Sanskrit 'adya', meaning today) and 'kal' (from Sanskrit 'kalya', meaning yesterday/tomorrow).
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, 'aaj-kal' is frequently used to lament a recent decline in fortune, love, or the speaker's emotional well-being.
Examples
Nowadays the desolate heart remembers only grief.
These days, no one inquires after the broken-hearted.
Synonyms
इन दिनोंहाल-फ़िलहालदर-ईं-अय्याम
Related Words
आजकलज़मानावक़्त