Word Meaning
नूर-उल-ऐन
noor-ul-ain
Meaning
Light of the eye; apple of the eye; beloved or darling child.
Detailed Meaning
Literally translating to 'light of the eye', the phrase idiomatically signifies a dearly beloved child or darling. In this couplet, Ghalib personifies the tears shed and scattered across the wilderness as the skirt's precious child or apple of the eye. It combines an affectionate familial idiom with an ironic poetic conceit connecting tears and vision.
Etymology
Arabic: compound of nūr (light), al- (the), and ʿayn (eye).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it is used as an endearing epithet for a beloved or offspring, often woven with imagery of sight, tears, and luminescence.
Examples
He was the light of the eyes for his grieving parents.
Tears shed in longing became the darling of the weeping eye.