Word Meaning
ब-कफ़
ba-kaf
hiprepositional phrase
Meaning
In hand; held in the palm; possessing or grasping.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning 'in the palm' or 'in hand', it signifies having something gripped or ready. In this couplet, it describes holding the skirt/hem of the wilderness, depicting how wherever the lover's eyes open, vast desolation is grasped. It evokes an image of eternal wandering and desolate attachment.
Etymology
Persian: preposition 'ba' (in, with) + 'kaf' (palm of the hand).
Usage
Frequently used in classical Urdu poetry to depict surrendering one's life ('जाँ-ब-कफ़') or clasping a symbolic garment or goblet.
Examples
Holding one's life in hand for the beloved
Grasping the desert's skirt in wandering
Synonyms
दस्त-दर-दस्तहाथ मेंक़ब्ज़े में
Related Words
जाँ-ब-कफ़कफ़कफ़-ए-अफ़सोसदामान-ए-सहरा