Word Meaning
ख़ार
khaar
hinoun, masculine
Meaning
A thorn, spine, or thistle; metaphorically, pain or distress.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu verse, 'khaar' denotes a thorn, frequently positioned as the poignant antithesis to 'gul' (the rose). In this couplet, it embodies the minimal pain of a physical prick, emphasizing the lover's extreme vulnerability: having neither the fortitude to endure even a minor thorn, yet daring to face the arrayed daggers of the beloved's eyelashes.
Etymology
Persian (خار - khār), meaning thorn, bramble, or thistle.
Usage
A quintessential ghazal trope used contrastively with 'gul' (rose) to symbolize suffering, longing, or rivalry in love.
Examples
A lone thorn piercing the foot of the wanderer.
Every rose in the garden of passion brings a thorn.
Synonyms
काँटाशूलकंटक
Related Words
ख़ार-ज़ारगुल-ओ-ख़ारख़ार-पुश्त