Word Meaning
पय
pai
Meaning
A sinew, tendon, or nerve; fibrous tissue of the body.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'pai' refers to a sinew, nerve, or tendon. It most often appears paired with 'rag' in the idiomatic compound 'rag-o-pai' (veins and sinews) to signify the entirety of one's physical and spiritual existence. In this couplet, it represents the deep physiological channels into which the poison of grief thoroughly seeps.
Etymology
Persian (پے, pay/pai), meaning tendon, sinew, or nerve; also track, footstep.
Usage
Almost universally used in ghazal poetry within the compound 'rag-o-pai' to express the pervasive penetration of passion, grief, or intoxication throughout the body.
Examples
Pain coursed through every vein and sinew.
A trembling seized each tendon and nerve.