Word Meaning
क़ंद
qand
Meaning
Sugar, candy, or a sweet crystalline substance; sweetness.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'qand' refers to refined loaf sugar, candy, or extreme sweetness. In this verse, it is deliberately contrasted with 'zahr-e-halahal' (deadly poison), representing sweet-talking deception or the sugarcoating of destructive untruths. The poet emphasizes his uncompromising moral integrity by refusing to flatter or call bitter falsehood sweet.
Etymology
From Arabic 'qand', derived from Persian, ultimately tracing back to Sanskrit 'khaṇḍa' (sugar pieces/crystallized raw sugar).
Usage
In ghazals, 'qand' frequently serves as a trope for the beloved's lips or speech, and as an antithesis to poison ('zahr') or bitterness ('talḳhī').
Examples
To mistake lethal poison for sweet qand
Speech overflowing with the sweetness of qand