Word Meaning
कानों-कान
kānoṁ-kān
Meaning
From ear to ear; getting the faintest wind or whisper of a secret.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu and Hindi idiom, 'kānoṁ-kān' conveys the passing of secret news or the faintest whisper from one ear to another. In this couplet, paired with the negative 'na jānā', it signifies that the rose did not receive even the slightest inkling of the lover's grief. It highlights the poignant, undetected nature of dying outside the garden's walls without the beloved ever noticing.
Etymology
Derived from the Indo-Aryan/Sanskrit root 'कर्ण' (karṇa, meaning 'ear'), duplicated with the plural/oblique marker to signify transference between ears.
Usage
In classical ghazal, it is typically used in negative idioms (such as 'kānoṁ-kān khabar na honā') to underline total secrecy or the cruel unawareness of the beloved.
Examples
Not a whisper of the plan reached anyone's ear.
The secret passed from ear to ear in total silence.