Word Meaning
पयम्बर
payambar
Meaning
A messenger, prophet, apostle, or bearer of news.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and classical Urdu poetry, 'payambar' primarily denotes a messenger or a divine apostle (prophet). In this couplet, it is used hyperbolically among supreme venerations where the lover elevates the beloved to sacred stations alongside God and the Prophet. It can also, in broader ghazal tradition, refer to a worldly courier or messenger conveying romantic letters.
Etymology
Persian, a contracted form of 'payāmbar' (پیامبر), derived from 'payām' (message) and the stem '-bar' (bearer or carrier).
Usage
In the Urdu ghazal, the word is used either reverentially for religious prophets or playfully for the intermediary messenger who carries love-letters between lovers.
Examples
If no messenger is found, let the letter suffice
Hearing the messenger's words, the beloved smiled