आब-दार

Meaning

Lustrous, brilliant, sharp, tempered (as of steel or jewels)

Detailed Meaning

Literally meaning holding water or luster, 'aab-daar' signifies high quality, polish, sharpness, or brilliance. In poetry, it is famously applied to polished gems, pearls, eyes, and especially the tempered sheen and deadly sharpness of a sword. In this couplet by Ghalib, it evokes both the blinding shimmer of desert sand and the lethal razor-sharpness of a steel blade.

Etymology

Persian: compound of 'aab' (water, luster, temper of steel) + 'daar' (possessing, holder).

Usage

In classical ghazals, it is frequently coupled with weapons (tegh, khanjar) to denote fatal elegance or with tears and gems to signify radiant purity.

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