Word Meaning
गए-गुज़रे
gae-guzre
Meaning
Worthless, wretched, base, or utterly fallen in status.
Detailed Meaning
The compound refers to someone who is considered degraded, utterly destitute, or unworthy of any respect. In this couplet, the speaker asserts their wounded dignity, asking rhetorical defiance whether they are truly so pathetic and low as to keep crawling back to the beloved's lane. It captures the tension between extreme self-abasement in love and a desperate defense of lingering self-respect.
Etymology
A compound of Hindustani 'गया' (past participle of जाना, Sanskrit गत) and Persian-derived 'गुज़रा' (from guẕashtan, to pass).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it is frequently used rhetorically to contest the beloved's disdain and defend the lover's injured self-worth.
Examples
Are we so utterly wretched in your eyes?
Having weathered hardship, they are not entirely ruined.