Word Meaning
नाला-कश
nāla-kash
Meaning
One who laments; someone uttering groans, wailing, or cries of grief.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'nala-kash' denotes a lover who continuously gives voice to deep grief and lamentation. In this couplet, it describes the aged lover who still weeps and cries out in devotion at the threshold of the beloved despite advanced age. It emphasizes lifelong yearning and relentless sorrow that does not diminish with physical decline.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'nāla' (groan, lamentation) and the suffix 'kash' (from kashīdan, 'to draw, pull, or utter').
Usage
Commonly invoked in the ghazal to portray the archetypal devoted lover whose entire existence is defined by persistent sighs and cries before the indifferent beloved.
Examples
A lamenter dwelling in the alley of sorrow
The weeping heart at the threshold of the beloved