Word Meaning
क़तरा-ज़न
qatra-zan
Meaning
Shedding drops or tears; dripping continuously like weeping eyes.
Detailed Meaning
A compound formed from Arabic 'qatra' (drop) and the Persian suffix '-zan' (producing/shedding). In classical Urdu verse, it describes someone who continuously weeps, leaving a trail of tear drops. In this couplet, it depicts the poet wandering through the desolate valley of longing, whose only guide-path is the thread of his falling tears.
Etymology
Arabic 'qatra' (قطرة, drop) + Persian agentive suffix '-zan' (زن, from 'zadan' زدن, to strike, emit, or produce).
Usage
In classical ghazal poetry, it serves as a vivid visual compound to portray the relentless shedding of tears on the path of grief.
Examples
walking like a tear-shedder along the barren trail
the solitary cloud shedding drops across the sky