Word Meaning
नासेह
nāsih
Meaning
An advisor, counselor, or moralizer who urges the lover to abandon passion.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, the 'naaseh' is a archetypal figure of worldly wisdom who continually advises the distraught lover to renounce love. In this couplet, the poet ironically offers deep respect to the counselor while dismissively questioning what advice could ever cure his madness.
Etymology
Arabic, derived from the active participle of the triliteral root ن-ص-ح (n-ṣ-ḥ), meaning to give sincere counsel or admonition.
Usage
A stock character in the ghazal, the naaseh personifies orthodox reason and is routinely mocked or pitied by the passionate lover for his inability to comprehend love.
Examples
The advisor's sermons fall on deaf ears in the tavern.
Do not heed the advisor, O restless heart.