Word Meaning
क़हबा
qahba
Meaning
A prostitute, courtesan, or harlot.
Detailed Meaning
In classical literature, 'qahba' refers to a prostitute, courtesan, or unchaste woman. In poetry, it is often employed metaphorically to characterize the fickle world (dunya) or a faithless beloved who is incapable of loyalty or making a true home. In this couplet, it warns against ruining oneself over someone unfaithful with whom a home cannot be made.
Etymology
Arabic قَحْبَة (qaḥbah), feminine of قَحْب (coughing), originally referring to an old woman or a prostitute who coughed to attract clients.
Usage
In the Urdu ghazal, it is frequently used as an allegorical figure representing the treachery and transitory nature of the material world (qahba-e-dahr).
Examples
Beware of the deceitful charms of the harlot.
A harlot knows no loyalty to any household.