Word Meaning
कैसी
kaisi
Meaning
What sort of; what kind of; what (used rhetorically to dismiss or deny).
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'kaisi' is the feminine form of the interrogative adjective 'kaisa'. Used rhetorically with an abstract feminine noun like 'wafa' (fidelity), it serves as an expression of rejection or cynicism, essentially meaning 'what loyalty is there to speak of?'. In this couplet, it questions the worth and reality of devoted love when sorrow is the only inevitable outcome.
Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'kīdṛśa' (of what kind) or 'katham' through Prakrit 'kerisa' into Old Hindustani.
Usage
Often employed in ghazals to evoke skepticism, despair, or to challenge established notions of romantic devotion.
Examples
Kaisi wafa aur kaisa gham (What loyalty and what sorrow?)
Yeh kaisi aag hai jo bujhti nahin (What kind of fire is this that does not subside?)