Word Meaning
ता'ना
ta'na
Meaning
Taunt, reproach, sarcasm, or rebuke directed at someone.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetics, 'ta'na' denotes a sharp reproach, sarcasm, or taunt hurled at the lover, typically by critics, moralizers, or society. In this couplet, the speaker pleads not to be mocked or censured for heading toward the Kaaba, lamenting his abandonment of previous loyalties. It underscores the recurring ghazal motif of enduring societal scorn for one's unpredictable spiritual or emotional inclinations.
Etymology
Arabic طَعْنَة (ṭa‘nah), from the root ط-ع-ن (ṭ-'-n), literally meaning a thrust, stab, or verbal defamation.
Usage
A staple trope in the ghazal, usually juxtaposed with the lover's forbearance against the barbed remarks of the nāṣiḥ (counselor) or rivals.
Examples
Wounded by the relentless taunts of the world.
Enduring the reproach and censure of the moralist.