Word Meaning
मिन्नतें
Minnatein
Meaning
Entreaties, humble supplications, or debts of gratitude and obligations.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'minnat' signifies both an earnest entreaty and an obligation or debt of gratitude. In this couplet, it specifically conveys indebtedness to 'shikasta-pai' (the infirmity of broken feet), which provided the speaker an excuse to remain in the beloved's street. It reflects a state of paradoxical gratitude where one's own weakness becomes a blessing.
Etymology
Arabic 'minnah' (منّة - favor, grace, obligation), developed in Persian and Urdu to also mean supplication or entreaty.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is frequently employed in compounds like 'minnat-kash' to express reluctance to be indebted to others, or as humble pleading before the beloved.
Examples
Who would bear the obligation of the healer?
A thousand entreaties were made, yet the beloved did not relent.