Word Meaning
ख़ुश-ज़ाहिर
khush-zāhir
Meaning
Outwardly pleasing, fair-appearing, or attractive in external looks.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian-Arabic compound adjective meaning possessing a charming, innocent, or fair exterior. In classical poetry, it often describes young, beautiful individuals whose pleasing visage conceals future turmoil or deceptive beauty. In this couplet, it describes lovely children ('tifl-e-khush-zāhir') who eventually mature into the devastating temptations and heartbreaks of the age.
Etymology
Persian 'khwush' (good, pleasant) + Arabic 'zāhir' (manifest, visible, exterior).
Usage
Commonly employed in Urdu poetry to contrast lovely, deceptive external form with hidden inward reality or destructive consequences.
Examples
One must not be deceived by a pleasant outward demeanor.
A fair-appearing youth who unwittingly brings upheaval to the world.