Word Meaning
कटा
kata
Meaning
Passed, spent, or elapsed (of time); cut or severed.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu and Hindi poetry, 'कटा' denotes time elapsing or passing, often carrying connotations of endurance or fleetingness. In this couplet, it describes how swiftly the joyful day of union flew by compared to the agonizing endurance required for the night of separation. It evokes both the effortless slipping away of time and the physical metaphor of being cut.
Etymology
Sanskrit कृत्त (kṛtta) / कर्तन (kartana) through Prakrit into Old Hindi/Hindustani कटना (kaṭnā).
Usage
Conventionally paired with 'दिन' (day) or 'रात' (night) in the ghazal to convey the subjective slowness or speed of time depending on love or grief.
Examples
The night of sorrow passed with immense agony.
A lifetime passed merely waiting for you.