मै

Meaning

Wine, liquor, or intoxicating drink.

Detailed Meaning

In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'mai' denotes wine, serving both literally and as an allegory for spiritual ecstasy or divine love. In this couplet, it refers to the wine within the goblet whose surface and droplets shimmer along the cup's marked rim like a string of pearls.

Etymology

Persian (مَی / may), from Middle Persian may, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *médʰu (honey, mead).

Usage

In the ghazal tradition, 'mai' is frequently contrasted with the rigid austerity of the moralist (zāhid) to signify authentic, unpretentious devotion.

Examples

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Related Words