ग़रीब

Meaning

Poor, wretched, helpless, stranger, or destitute person.

Detailed Meaning

In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'gharib' signifies not merely material poverty, but profound helplessness, wretchedness, or being a lonely stranger in a foreign place. In this couplet, it serves as an epithet for the destitute, oppressed soul battered by circumstance. It conveys deep pathos and the vulnerability of one worn down by suffering.

Etymology

Arabic root gh-r-b (غ-ر-ب), originally referring to being a stranger, alien, or going away into exile.

Usage

In ghazal tradition, 'gharib' often modifies the heart ('dil-e-gharib') to evoke pathetic helplessness and melancholy alienation in love.

Examples

Synonyms

Related Words