Word Meaning
बेजानाँ
be-jānāñ
Meaning
Without the beloved; in the absence of one's sweetheart.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian-derived prepositional compound meaning 'without the beloved'. In classical Urdu poetry, it evokes the inconsolable despair and emptiness felt during separation from the beloved, rendering worldly delights meaningless. In the cited verse, the poet wonders how anyone's heart could possibly find diversion or comfort in the absence of their lover.
Etymology
Persian: 'be-' (without) + 'jānān' (beloved, sweetheart; plural/honorific of 'jān' meaning soul).
Usage
Commonly employed in the ghazal to highlight the vanity of worldly pleasures and distractions in the absence of the beloved.
Examples
How can the garden bloom for me without the beloved?
A single moment without the beloved feels like an eternity.