Word Meaning
ख़ता
khatā
hinoun
Meaning
A mistake, fault, slip, or missing of a target.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'khatā' signifies an error, sin, or failure to strike an intended target. In this couplet, it refers specifically to the archery idiom 'tīr khatā honā' (an arrow missing its mark). The lover is so dedicated to suffering that if the beloved's arrow misses, he retrieves it so she can shoot him again.
Etymology
Arabic (خَطَأ, khaṭa'), denoting an error, fault, or missing a mark.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is widely utilized both in the moral sense of a lover's supposed guilt and in archery metaphors for unfulfilled blows of cruelty.
Examples
The arrow missed its target and struck elsewhere.
Pardon the lover's involuntary mistake.
Synonyms
चूकग़लतीक़ुसूरलग़्ज़िश
Related Words
ख़तावारबे-ख़ताख़ता-बख़्श