Word Meaning
फिरती
phirtī
Meaning
Wandering, roaming, revolving, or spreading over a surface.
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet, 'phirtī hai' suggests wandering restlessly as well as being brushed or coated over a surface. Ghalib ingeniously plays on the double meaning: Jacob's blindness (the whiteness of his weeping eyes) wanders over Joseph's prison like whitewash being applied to decorate the walls. It reflects both the longing gaze and the physical act of beautifying a dwelling.
Etymology
Sanskrit स्फुरति (sphurati, 'darts, moves quickly') via Prakrit phuraï into Old Hindi / Hindavi phirnā.
Usage
Commonly used in classical ghazal to convey the ceaseless wandering of an anxious lover or the restless roving of eyesight.
Examples
nigāh-e-shauq dar-o-bām par phirtī hai
phirtī hai dasht-o-bayābān meñ ek dīvāna sī rūh