Word Meaning
बुतों
butoñ
Meaning
Idols, statues; figuratively, stony-hearted beloveds or beautiful persons.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'but' denotes both an inanimate idol or statue and, metaphorically, an exquisite but unfeeling beloved. In this couplet, it evokes the historical idols banished from the Kaaba upon the advent of Islam, while also slyly hinting at beautiful earthly beloveds whose distant link to the sacred origin remains intact.
Etymology
Persian 'but' (بت), historically traced back through Middle Iranian to the representation of the Buddha via Central Asian trade and iconography.
Usage
A core trope of the ghazal, often counterposed with orthodox religious symbols (the Ka'ba, Sheikh, or Haram) to critique rigid piety in favor of passionate devotion to beauty.
Examples
Devoting one's whole life to serving stony idols.
These heartless idols have led the lover astray.