टेढ़ा

Meaning

crooked, oblique, slanted, perverse, or adverse

Detailed Meaning

Literally meaning bent, crooked, or cut at an angle, the word often carries connotations of perversity, misfortune, or contrariness. In this couplet by Ghalib, it refers to the slant cut ('qat') of the reed pen of destiny, suggesting that the speaker's very fate was scripted askew from the start. Hence, crooked writing leads naturally to a divergent and unconventional life path.

Etymology

Sanskrit 'tiraśca' / Prakrit 'tiraḍha' (meaning across, oblique, curved) evolving into Hindustani 'teṛhā'.

Usage

In Urdu ghazal, it is frequently employed to depict the perverse whims of fortune ('gardish-e-ayyam') or the crooked temperament ('kaj-rawi') of the lover and fate.

Examples

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