Word Meaning
दीवाँ
deewaan
Meaning
A collection of poetry, especially ghazals arranged alphabetically by rhyme.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian literature, a deewan is a formal anthology of a poet's verses, conventionally arranged alphabetically according to the end-rhyme. In this couplet, the speaker self-reflexively describes his entire poetry collection as an intimate ledger of sorrow and fractured circumstance. It functions simultaneously as a physical book of verse and as a living record of emotional desolation.
Etymology
Persian 'dīwān' (دیوان), originally from an ancient Near Eastern root related to registers, writing, or government offices.
Usage
In ghazals, poets frequently refer to their own 'deewan' in meta-poetic verses to comment on the enduring weight of their grief or art.
Examples
recorded in my deewan
the published deewan of verses