Word Meaning
गुल-रुख़ाँ
gul-rukhaan
Meaning
The rose-cheeked ones; beautiful beloveds.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and Urdu poetics, it refers to beloveds whose cheeks are as fresh and radiant as roses. In this verse by Ghalib, it evokes alluring beauties whose proud slumber or delicate vanity fades into insignificance like the smoke of an extinguished lamp before the transcendent ecstasy of the addressee. The Persian plural suffix '-aan' signifies the collective class of such exquisite beloveds.
Etymology
Persian: 'gul' (rose, flower) + 'rukh' (face, cheek) + '-aan' (animate plural marker).
Usage
Commonly used in ghazals as a plural epithet for charming beloveds whose delicate beauty rivals the blossoming rose.
Examples
The proud assemblies of rose-cheeked beauties.
A captive heart wandering among the rose-faced beloveds.