Word Meaning
दहक़ाँ
dahqāñ
Meaning
farmer, peasant, villager, cultivator
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'dahqān' refers to a peasant, cultivator, or farmer who toils on the land. In this couplet, the warm blood shed through the peasant's relentless labor is depicted as lightning that burns away any harvest of ease or comfort. It symbolizes the tragic paradox of human toil sustaining the world while consuming the laborer.
Etymology
From Persian 'dihqān' (originally Middle Persian 'dehgān', derived from 'deh', village).
Usage
In Urdu poetry, 'dahqān' is traditionally invoked alongside 'barq' (lightning) and 'khirman' (granary or harvest) as an archetype of labor destroyed by fate or tyranny.
Examples
The lightning struck the harvest of the poor dahqan.
The warm blood of the dahqan gave life to the barren field.