Word Meaning
कश्ती-ब-कफ़
kashti-ba-kaf
Meaning
Holding an alms bowl in hand; carrying a beggar's bowl.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian compound describing a mendicant holding an alms-vessel or kashkol in the palm of their hand. In the cited couplet, it emphasizes the lover's destitute state as a beggar holding out a bowl before the beloved, who is an abundant ocean of beauty. The contrast between an endless sea and a small begging vessel underscores the lover's utter humility.
Etymology
Persian: kashti (boat-shaped begging bowl) + ba (in, with) + kaf (palm, hand).
Usage
Commonly employed in classical ghazal to portray the humble lover seeking the alms of love or a glance from the beloved.
Examples
Standing kashti-ba-kaf at your threshold, waiting for grace.
Before the ocean of beauty, the lover stood kashti-ba-kaf.