Word Meaning
उड़ते
uṛte
Meaning
Flying, soaring, or fluttering in mid-flight.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu verse, 'uṛte' serves as an imperfective participle describing the act of taking flight or being airborne. In this couplet by Ghalib, it portrays the overwhelming density of blossoming spring, showing that the garden is so densely packed with flowers that even mid-air ('uṛte hue'), the birds' feet become entangled. It produces a startling poetic hyperbole where the freedom of flight is hindered by nature's lush excess.
Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'ड्डी' (ḍḍī, to fly) through Prakrit 'उड्डइ' (uḍḍaï) into Old Hindi and Hindustani 'उड़ना' (uṛnā).
Usage
Frequently paired with 'hue' ('uṛte hue') in classical ghazal to portray birds, restless hearts, or rising dust.
Examples
The garden birds caught mid-flight in the spring breeze.
Drifting in the wind like flying specks of dust.