Word Meaning
परेशानी
pareshānī
Meaning
Distress, anxiety, perplexity, or disquietude of the heart and mind.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'pareshani' signifies an agitated, scattered, or troubled state of mind, often triggered by the pangs of love. In this couplet, it appears in the compound 'pareshani-e-khatir', conveying the deep emotional turmoil and anxiety of the speaker's heart. It reflects both the vulnerability of suffering and the hesitation of confessing it to the beloved.
Etymology
Persian, formed from 'pareshan' (پریشان - scattered, dispersed, distracted) with the abstract noun suffix '-i'.
Usage
In ghazals, 'pareshani' is often twinned through wordplay with the dishevelled hair ('zulf') of the beloved, mirroring external chaos with inner torment.
Examples
The distress of my heart remains hidden from all.
Tangled like her tresses is the anxiety of my thoughts.