ग़रीब-नवाज़

Meaning

Cherisher, patron, or protector of the poor and humble.

Detailed Meaning

A Persian-Arabic compound title meaning one who cherishes, shelters, or shows benevolence to the impoverished and needy. In classical Urdu poetry, it frequently addresses a patron, the beloved, or the Divine, setting up an antithesis between the speaker's destitution and the addressee's elevated generosity. In this couplet, the speaker justifies the beloved's attention as a natural act of kindness suited to a patron of the humble.

Etymology

Compound of Arabic 'ġharīb' (poor, humble, stranger) and Persian 'navāz' (one who cherishes or caresses, from the verb navākhtan).

Usage

Commonly used in ghazal as an honorific address that highlights the contrast between the lover's humility and the beloved's noble benevolence.

Examples

Synonyms

Related Words