Word Meaning
क़स्साब
qassāb
hinoun
Meaning
A butcher; one who slaughters animals or acts ruthlessly.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning a butcher or slaughterer, 'qassāb' metaphorically signifies heartlessness, indifference, or clinical cruelty. In this couplet, it represents the slaughterer who finds a weak prey so utterly valueless that even taking it for free is not worth the effort, illustrating total destitution.
Etymology
Arabic root ق-ص-ب (q-ṣ-b), conveying the sense of cutting up or slaughtering livestock.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, 'qassāb' represents cold, unfeeling slaughter or utter disregard for the worth of the victim, often contrasted with passionate lovers offering their lives.
Examples
The blade of the butcher showed no mercy.
Even the butcher turned away from such feeble prey.
Synonyms
क़साईज़ब्बाख़सफ़्फ़ाकजल्लाद
Related Words
ज़बहशिकारतेग़बिस्मिल