दस्त-कारियाँ

Meaning

Handiworks, handicrafts, manual workmanship, or deeds done by hands.

Detailed Meaning

Literally meaning handicrafts or manual craftsmanship, the term refers to any intricate work done by hand. In Urdu poetry, it is frequently employed with tragic or sardonic irony to describe the marks of passion, such as tearing one's collar or scratching the beloved or oneself. In this couplet, the speaker ironically refers to the scratch marks left on the face as his artistic handiwork.

Etymology

Persian: compound of 'dast' (hand) and 'kār' (work), suffixed with '-ī' (abstract noun) and pluralized with Urdu '-āñ'.

Usage

Often used in classical poetry with dark humor or irony to describe wounds and torn garments as works of art.

Examples

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Related Words