Word Meaning
न-गह
nigah
Meaning
Glance, sight, vision, look, or eye.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'nigah' (shortened form of 'nigaah') refers to the act of looking, a gaze, or the eye itself. In the cited couplet, Ghalib uses 'taar-e-nigah' (the thread of sight) to evoke a fine, continuous line of vision that resembles the delicate vein of a rose petal. It signifies intense, unbroken gazing and the fragile yet focused connection forged by romantic contemplation.
Etymology
Persian 'nigāh' (نگاہ), shortened metrically to 'nigah' (نگہ) for poetics.
Usage
In Urdu ghazal, 'nigah' often serves as a metrically shortened variant of 'nigaah' and commonly conveys both the lethal allure of the beloved's glance and the yearning vision of the lover.
Examples
A single glance from the beloved can shatter patience.
The thread of sight stretches across the distance between us.