Word Meaning
ज़रा
zarā
Meaning
A little, slightly, just for a moment.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'zarā' functions as an adverb or qualifier meaning slightly, briefly, or just a little. In this couplet, it serves as a tender, desperate plea asking the beloved to lift the veil merely for an instant or just enough to show their eyes. It underscores how even a minimal, wrathful concession from the beloved would suffice for the yearning lover.
Etymology
Arabic ذَرَّة (speck, particle, atom), evolving through Persian into an adverbial expression of small quantity or brief duration in Hindustani.
Usage
Frequently utilized in ghazals to express the lover's modest, desperate entreaties for the beloved's fleeting attention.
Examples
Pause just a moment so my breath may ease
Cast your glance towards me for just a second