Word Meaning
ख़ुर्दा-बीं
khurda-bīn
Meaning
Subtle observer, discerning critic, or one capable of perceiving minute details.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'khurda-bīn' denotes a sharp-sighted observer, critic, or someone who discerns the finest minutiae. In this couplet, it refers to subtle connoisseurs who are astonished by the beloved's impossibly tiny, delicate mouth (dahan). It plays on the classical trope where the beloved's mouth is so infinitesimal that even microscope-eyed critics are bewildered trying to discern it.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'khurda' (minute, small, fragment) and 'bīn' (the seeing one, from the root 'dīdan', to see).
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it often personifies critical intellects who fail to fathom the metaphysical or aesthetic subtleties of the beloved.
Examples
Even the subtle observer stood confounded by that hidden secret.
A discerning eye could not trace the faintest outline of that delicate form.