Word Meaning
ना-बालिग़
na-baaligh
Meaning
Immature, underage, or spiritually unripened despite age.
Detailed Meaning
Literally denoting a minor who has not reached the age of maturity, the term is used metaphorically in poetry to signify spiritual or emotional raw-ness. In this verse, it serves as an ironic insult toward an aged ascetic (peer), declaring that despite his gray hairs, he remains an uninitiated child in the subtle discipline of divine love.
Etymology
Persian negative prefix 'na-' combined with the Arabic 'baligh' (mature, one who has arrived at puberty).
Usage
Commonly deployed in the ghazal to mock orthodox moralists whose rigid dogma proves their total lack of spiritual development.
Examples
A novice who is physically aged yet an immature child in wisdom.
Still a spiritual minor in the school of love.