Word Meaning
काव-कावे
kāv-kāv-e
Meaning
Digging, piercing, or continuous scratching; relentless torment or probing.
Detailed Meaning
The term denotes the repetitive action of digging, scratching, or burrowing, often combined through izafat with pain or an instrument of torment. In this verse, it describes the relentless piercing or scratching by the beloved's eyelashes into the afflicted heart. The resulting entanglement between the sharp lashes and the bruised heart is depicted as inseparable.
Etymology
Persian, reduplicative noun derived from 'kāvīdan' (کاویدن), meaning to dig, hollow out, search, or scratch.
Usage
In classical ghazal, it frequently symbolizes the excruciating torment of love or the relentless piercing of the beloved's eyelashes.
Examples
kāv-kāv-e saḳht-jānī ne kiyā be-hāl
kāv-kāv-e ġham se jigar chhalnī huā