Word Meaning
गुलाबियाँ
gulābiyāñ
Meaning
Rosy flushes, reddish hues, or wine flasks indicating drunken redness.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu verse, 'gulābiyāñ' (the plural of gulābī) refers to delicate rose-colored flushes, hues of redness, or small wine flagons. In this couplet, it describes the bloodshot, rosy tinge of the beloved's intoxicating eyes, mirroring drunkenness and hangover. It juxtaposes lethal violence ('talwār') with exquisite, wine-induced charm.
Etymology
From Persian 'gulāb' (rosewater, from 'gul' meaning rose + 'āb' meaning water) suffixed with the adjectival '-ī' and the Urdu plural ending '-āñ'.
Usage
Frequently deployed in ghazal imagery to depict either the delicate flush of wine-drinking or the intoxicating redness of sleepless, passionate eyes.
Examples
The wine-tinted rosy hues of intoxication
Eyes flushed with the rosy tint of sleeplessness