Word Meaning
बिनाएँ
Binā'eñ
Meaning
Foundations, groundworks, or bases laid down.
Detailed Meaning
In this couplet, 'बिनाएँ' is the Urdu plural of the Arabic feminine noun 'binā' (meaning foundation, base, or structure, as in the idiom 'binā rakhnā'—to lay a foundation). It refers to the elaborate mental castles, grand schemes, or groundworks the speaker has conceived in the world. The poet laments that these grand constructions are merely vain illusions born of false thoughts.
Etymology
Arabic root ب-ن-ي (b-n-y) via 'binā'' (بناء), meaning structure or foundation, combined with the Urdu feminine plural suffix '-eñ'.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, 'binā' is commonly used with 'rakhnā' (to lay a foundation) to contrast enduring foundations with transient, fragile human ambitions.
Examples
The foundations of desire crumble easily.
Laying foundations upon the shifting sand.