Word Meaning
बलाएँ
balā'eñ
Meaning
Calamities, misfortunes, afflictions, or severe troubles.
Detailed Meaning
'बलाएँ' (balā'eñ) is the feminine plural of 'बला' (balā), referring to tribulations, catastrophes, or afflictions. In this couplet, Ghalib invokes it to signify all the miseries and trials of existence that a human being endures over a lifetime. The speaker observes with weary detachment that every possible suffering has already run its course, leaving behind only the sudden blow of death.
Etymology
Arabic root ب-ل-و (b-l-w), from 'balāʾ' (بلاء), meaning trial, affliction, or misfortune; adopted into Persian and Urdu.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, 'balā' represents fatal misfortunes of fate or passion, while the cultural idiom 'balā'eñ lenā' conveys protective blessing and maternal love.
Examples
May all your afflictions and calamities be warded off.
The weary heart has endured countless trials and misfortunes.