Word Meaning
कहानियाँ
kahaniyaan
Meaning
Stories, tales, or narratives, especially of suffering or romantic plight.
Detailed Meaning
Refers to narratives, tales, or fables; in ghazal poetry, it frequently denotes an account of a lover's sorrows, trials, or unrequited passion. In this couplet, it represents the lengthy, sorrowful descriptions of hardship (museebat-bayaniyaan) that the speaker wishes the beloved to hear. The plural emphasizes the endless nature of the lover's suffering.
Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'कथानक' (kathānaka) or 'कथा' (kathā, meaning story/narrative), passing through Prakrit into Hindustani.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, 'kahaniyaan' or 'dastanein' are commonly invoked to describe the endless narrative of a lover's pain during sleepless nights.
Examples
Tales of the night of separation that never reach an end.
Listen to the sorrowful stories told by the heart.