Word Meaning
मै-फ़रोश
mai-farosh
Meaning
A wine-seller, vintner, or tavern-keeper dispensing intoxicating drinks.
Detailed Meaning
'Mai-farosh' literally denotes a seller or dispenser of wine. In classical Urdu poetry, it is often employed metaphorically for the beloved's alluring eyes, which intoxicate the beholder with their charm. In this couplet, the eyes of the beauties are depicted as wine-sellers distributing the heady intoxication of pride and coquetry.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'mai' (wine) and 'farosh' (seller, from 'farokhtan', to sell).
Usage
In ghazals, the figure of the 'mai-farosh' is commonly linked with the free-spirited tavern culture, set in contrast to the rigid orthodoxy of the moralist.
Examples
There is a wondrous bustle at the wine-seller's tavern.
The glance of the wine-dispenser rendered everyone entranced.