Word Meaning
ग़म-ख़ाने
gham-khane
Meaning
House of sorrow; abode of grief or mourning (oblique/possessive form).
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'gham-khana' refers to the dwelling of sorrow, often serving as a metaphor for the desolate heart, solitary home, or existence of the suffering lover. In this couplet, it represents the speaker's ruined abode whose very inventory of desolation includes the lover himself. It stands in direct contrast to places of merriment and revelry.
Etymology
Compound of Arabic 'gham' (غم - sorrow, grief) and Persian 'khāna' (خانہ - house, abode).
Usage
A frequent trope in classical ghazal to denote the lover's ruined cottage or heartbroken existence in contrast to the beloved's vibrant gathering.
Examples
A pale candle flickered in the desolate house of sorrow.
My heart became a house of sorrow after the beloved departed.