Word Meaning
बहज़ाद
Bahzād
Meaning
A celebrated Persian master painter and miniaturist; the archetype of an expert artist.
Detailed Meaning
Bahzad refers to Kamal ud-Din Behzad, the renowned 15th-century Persian miniaturist celebrated across the East for his unmatched painterly skill. In Urdu and Persian ghazal poetry, he serves as the archetype of the quintessential master painter who is nonetheless confounded when attempting to capture the transcendent beauty of the beloved. In this couplet, even Bahzad's supreme artistic power proves inadequate, and his drawing serves only as confirmation that her divine form cannot be rendered on canvas.
Etymology
Persian (بهزاد, Bahzād / Bihzād, composed of 'bih' meaning good/better and 'zād' meaning born, signifying 'well-born' or 'noble').
Usage
Frequently paired with Mani in classical ghazal to symbolize the highest zenith of human artistic talent falling short of divine or beloved beauty.
Examples
Even the brush of Bahzad could not capture that countenance.
Every painter claims to be Bahzad until they gaze upon the beloved.