Word Meaning
इत्तिफ़ाक़ी
ittifāqī
Meaning
Accidental; coincidental; happening purely by chance rather than design.
Detailed Meaning
'Ittifaqi' describes something that occurs by coincidence, chance, or accident rather than through conscious design or desert. In this couplet, it emphasizes that any kindness or fidelity shown by beloveds is merely a random fluke, not the result of the lover's earnest pleas. It reflects the poet's bitter realization that the world's favors are arbitrarily distributed.
Etymology
Arabic root w-f-q (وفق), yielding 'ittifāq' (اتفاق, chance/coincidence) + the Persian adjectival suffix '-ī' (نسبتی).
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is typically employed to contrast the painful constancy of the lover with the fleeting, accidental kindness of the beloved or fate.
Examples
an accidental encounter
a coincidental show of mercy