Word Meaning
करम
karam
Meaning
Grace, bounty, kindness, benevolence, or divine favor.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'karam' refers to divine grace, benevolence, or the generous favor of the beloved. In this couplet, it is addressed directly as a personified force whose neglect threatens to reduce the poet to a hollow, pearl-less oyster shell. It underscores the helpless dependence of the lover on transcendent mercy for spiritual and poetic fulfillment.
Etymology
Arabic (كَرَم, karam), from the trilateral root k-r-m, denoting nobility, generosity, and bounty.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'karam' frequently appears in antithesis to 'sitam' (cruelty) to represent the beloved's alternating demeanor.
Examples
Bestow upon me a single glance of grace.
His grace encompasses all creation without discrimination.