Word Meaning
क़हत
qaht
Meaning
famine, drought, severe scarcity or dearth
Detailed Meaning
Literally refers to a famine, drought, or extreme shortage of sustenance. In this couplet, Ghalib employs it metaphorically to describe an acute scarcity of the sorrow of love ('gham-e-ulfat'), ironically treating emotional suffering as an indispensable staple required to survive. It contrasts the inhabited, bustling city with an emotional and existential starvation.
Etymology
Arabic (ق-ح-ط / qaḥaṭa), denoting a period of drought, barrenness, or severe shortage of food.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, 'qaht' is frequently constructed with abstract virtues (like loyalty, love, or sorrow) to lament moral or emotional deprivations in the world.
Examples
A famine of empathy in an uncaring land
Where sustenance is denied and drought prevails