Word Meaning
भाले
bhāle
Meaning
Simple, innocent, or guileless; used in the pair 'bhole-bhāle'.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu and Hindi, 'bhāle' occurs almost exclusively as an alliterative echo companion to 'bhole' in the rhyming compound 'bhole-bhāle', denoting someone extraordinarily naive, guileless, or simple. In this couplet, it is employed with biting irony against the preacher (wā'iz), contrasting his outward posture of purity and innocence with his hidden lust for the celestial maidens of paradise.
Etymology
From Sanskrit 'bhadra' (auspicious, noble) through Prakrit to Hindi-Urdu 'bhalā' (good), serving as a rhyming adjunct to 'bholā'.
Usage
In classical ghazal verse, it is often employed ironically to unmask the outward modesty of religious hypocrites like the wā'iz or zāhid.
Examples
He appears quite simple and naive at first glance.
Hidden motives masked by an innocent countenance.