नज़अ

Meaning

The agony or struggle of death; the moment of dying.

Detailed Meaning

In classical poetry, 'naza'' refers to the final agony or transitional threshold of death, particularly the soul's painful extraction from the body. In this couplet, it represents the lover's dying struggle, which is painfully suspended because the beloved has finally arrived to inquire after him. The moment is fraught with poignant irony as the lover's breath departs just when his presence is most desired.

Etymology

Arabic origin, from the root n-z-' (ن-ز-ع) meaning to pull out, tear away, or extract (specifically the soul at death).

Usage

In the ghazal tradition, 'waqt-e-naza'' (the hour of death) is a quintessential motif where the dying lover desperately awaits a final glance of the beloved.

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