Word Meaning
ज़-ख़ुद-रफ़तगी
zi-khud-raftagī
Meaning
Self-forgetfulness, being beside oneself, trance-like state, ecstasy, or unconsciousness of self.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'zi-khud-raftagī' (from 'zi' meaning 'from' and 'khud-raftagī' meaning 'loss of self') refers to an ecstatic state of total absorption or trance where an individual loses consciousness of their own being. In Mir's couplet, it describes the lover's overwhelming psychological condition during the night—a state of utter self-oblivion where, lacking composure of the heart, one is tossed between restless anticipation and inner turmoil.
Etymology
Persian: compound of 'zi' (from, out of) + 'khud' (self) + 'raftagī' (departure, vanishing, from raftan 'to go').
Usage
Commonly used in ghazals to evoke the mystic or romantic trance where the lover's ego dissolves under emotional agony or ecstatic vision.
Examples
Lost in self-forgetfulness, the night passed in wandering thoughts.
A moment of intense love plunged him into complete self-abandonment.