Word Meaning
ज़िम्मा
zimma
Meaning
Responsibility, guarantee, pledge, charge, or obligation.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu, 'zimma' denotes a legal or moral responsibility, trust, or assurance. In this specific couplet, the idiom 'mera zimma' acts as an assertive wager or guarantee, meaning 'I warrant' or 'it is my challenge' that no one will be able to locate the poet's emaciated body. It conveys absolute confidence in the lover's extreme frailty and near-invisibility.
Etymology
Arabic root ذ-م-م (dh-m-m), from 'dhimmah' meaning obligation, pledge, or covenant of protection.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'mera zimma' is often used idiomatically as a rhetorical challenge or guarantee regarding an exaggerated state of suffering or devotion.
Examples
I take it upon myself that the secret will not be revealed.
Whose responsibility is it to mend this broken heart?