Word Meaning
आफ़रीं
āfarīñ
Meaning
Praise, acclaim, bravo, or an expression of applause and admiration.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'āfarīn' functions both as an exclamation of praise and as a noun meaning commendation or applause. In this couplet, it denotes the dying lover's spontaneous admiration for the beloved's deadly marksmanship as the arrow is drawn from his chest. Even in fatal agony, the wound yields not a curse, but a salute to the beloved's flawless skill.
Etymology
From Persian آفرین (āfarīn), meaning praise, blessing, or applause; derived from Middle Persian āfrīn (blessing, benediction).
Usage
Frequently employed in classical ghazals to convey romantic surrender and paradox, where the lover applauds the beloved's lethal coquetry or cruelty.
Examples
A cry of āfarīn escaped the pierced heart.
Offering āfarīn to the killer's grace.