Word Meaning
पर्दों
pardoñ
Meaning
Musical notes, frets, or scales; also veils, curtains, or screens.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'parda' literally means a veil, screen, or partition, but in musical terminology it denotes a fret, scale, or musical note on stringed instruments such as the oud and harp. In this couplet, it specifically refers to musical notes or melodic modes, questioning whether the heart's lament matches the harmony of the instrument's notes. It masterfully plays on the dual meaning of hidden feelings and melodic intervals.
Etymology
Persian (پردہ / parda), meaning a curtain, veil, or musical interval/fret.
Usage
Frequently used with double entendre (īhām) to bridge musical tones with concealment or mystic veiling.
Examples
Melodies echoing from the frets of the chang
Secrets hidden behind the veils