Word Meaning
गिरफ़्तारों
giriftāroñ
Meaning
Captives, prisoners, or those ensnared and bound by love.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'giriftār' signifies one who is physically captured or, far more commonly, metaphorically trapped in the tresses or charms of the beloved. In the plural oblique form 'giriftāron', as seen in this couplet, it represents the community of devoted lovers whose confinement in devotion is remembered as a sweet, cherished condition. Even accompanied by grief and oppression, this captive state is romanticized as superior to indifferent freedom.
Etymology
Persian (गिरफ़्तार / گرفتار), derived from the verb 'giriftan' (to catch, seize, hold) with the agent/passive suffix '-ār'.
Usage
In ghazal tradition, being among the 'giriftār' is celebrated as the highest badge of fidelity and romantic submission.
Examples
Among the captives of her tresses
Pity the state of love's captives