Word Meaning
मुर्दा
murda
Meaning
Dead, lifeless; a corpse or deceased person.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and Urdu poetry, 'murda' denotes something lifeless, a corpse, or a person exhausted to the point of appearing dead. In this couplet, it describes the lover appearing completely inert and fragile ('murda sa'), yet unexpectedly proving to be an astonishing force or affliction ('bala'). It captures the paradoxical contrast between external lifelessness and an inner, chaotic vitality.
Etymology
From Persian 'murdah' (مردہ), past participle of 'murdan' (مردن, to die), traced to Proto-Iranian *mr̥táh.
Usage
Frequently deployed in the ghazal to convey the lover's extreme exhaustion, lovesickness, or spiritual languor in separation.
Examples
Appearing like a corpse yet causing havoc.
Breathed fresh life into a hundred-year-old corpse.