Word Meaning
ग़िर्बाल
ghirbāl
hinoun
Meaning
A sieve, strainer, or riddle.
Detailed Meaning
Literally denoting a sieve or colander, the term is employed in classical poetry to describe something pierced repeatedly until it is entirely perforated. In this couplet by Ghalib, the lover's eyelid ('parda-e-bādām') is compared to a sieve riddled with the beloved's dart-like glances, from which longings are sifted. It vividly evokes an extreme state of emotional wounding and suffering.
Etymology
Arabic (غربال, ghirbāl), borrowed into Persian and Urdu.
Usage
In classical Urdu and Persian ghazals, it is predominantly used in imagery of the chest, heart, or eyelid being pierced repeatedly by arrows of glance or love.
Examples
The chest was turned into a sieve by wounds.
A sieve of eyelashes weeping tears.
Synonyms
छलनीचलनीछन्नी
Related Words
ग़िर्बाल-बेज़हसरत-बेज़ग़लबाल