Word Meaning
बताऊँ
bataauuN
Meaning
Should I tell, can I explain, or say.
Detailed Meaning
First-person singular subjunctive form of the verb 'बताना' (to tell or narrate). In this couplet, it functions rhetorically as 'what can I possibly say', expressing helplessness and the sheer impossibility of counting or describing the speaker's prolonged suffering in this ruined world. It highlights how grief and the elongated nights of separation defy simple articulation.
Etymology
Inherited Indo-Aryan; related to Sanskrit 'वार्त्ता' (news, topic) through Middle Indo-Aryan, developed into Hindi/Urdu بتانا / बताना.
Usage
In ghazals, 'क्या बताऊँ' (kya bataauuN) is frequently employed as an exclamatory rhetorical device to convey inexpressible emotional turmoil.
Examples
What can I tell of the sorrow of the heart?
How should I tell of the secrets of the night?