Word Meaning
बे-गुनाह
be-gunāh
hiadjective
Meaning
Innocent, faultless, guiltless, or sinless.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning without sin or offense, it designates someone who is entirely blameless or guiltless. In classical Urdu poetry, it frequently denotes the lover who is subjected to torment or killed unjustly by the beloved's caprice. In this couplet, it refers to the lover whose life hangs in the balance as the beloved playfully wields a deadly sword.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from the privative prefix 'be-' (without) and 'gunāh' (sin, fault, guilt).
Usage
In ghazal aesthetics, it is conventionally paired with imagery of slaughter (qatl) to highlight the beloved's cruelty and the lover's harmless devotion.
Examples
The slaughter of an innocent soul
Tormenting a faultless lover
Synonyms
बे-क़सूरमासूमबे-ख़तानिर्दोष
Related Words
गुनाहगुनाहगारबे-गुनाही