Word Meaning
दिखला
dikhlā
Meaning
To show, reveal, or display (imperative or stem form).
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Hindi poetry, 'dikhlā' functions as the imperative or verbal stem of 'dikhlānā', meaning to show or reveal. In this couplet, it expresses a desperate plea for sight (dīdār), where the lover bargains that if the beloved refuses to unveil her entire face, she should at least reveal her eyes in anger. The term underscores the poetic tension between concealment behind the veil and the lover's thirst for visual communion.
Etymology
From Sanskrit root dṛś (to see), via Prakrit dakkh-, developing into the Hindi-Urdu verb dikhnā and causative dikhlānā.
Usage
Frequently used in classical ghazals in the context of the beloved's unveiling (jalwa-numā'ī) or the lover's begging for a fleeting glimpse.
Examples
Show me your face once from behind the curtain.
Do not show your beauty to strangers.