Word Meaning
बेताबी
betābī
Meaning
Restlessness, impatience, agitation, or lack of endurance.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, betābī denotes intense inner agitation, impatience, or restlessness caused by love and separation. In the quoted verse, it signifies the heart's futile struggle while ensnared in the beloved's curls, contrasting patience with uncontrollable emotion. It reflects the lover's inability to endure (tāb) the torment of passion.
Etymology
Persian: formed from the prefix 'be-' (without), 'tāb' (strength, endurance, heat), and the abstract noun suffix '-ī'.
Usage
Commonly contrasted with sabr (patience) or tāb (endurance) in the ghazal to express involuntary passionate longing.
Examples
The restless heart knows no comfort until dawn.
What cure is there for this agitation of love?