गिरानी

Meaning

Heaviness, weight, dearness, high price, or burden.

Detailed Meaning

In Persian and Urdu poetry, 'girani' denotes weight, gravity, preciousness, or a burdensome state. In this couplet by Ghalib, it operates on a double entendre of dignity/heaviness and high price, sharply contrasted with 'arzan' (cheap). The poet laments that his weighty self-worth or burdensome existence has ironically become as valueless as a roadside pebble.

Etymology

Persian (گرانی - girānī), from 'girān' (heavy, precious, burdened) + the abstract noun suffix '-ī'.

Usage

Commonly employed in the ghazal to denote emotional distress or ironically paired with 'arzan' to convey neglected self-esteem.

Examples

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Related Words