Word Meaning
मा'लूम
ma'loom
Meaning
Known, evident, perceived, discovered, or ascertained.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'ma'loom' denotes something that is known, evident, or revealed to consciousness. In this couplet by Ghalib, it describes how the safety or security symbolized by the petal is seemingly evident or known, contrasting with the underlying distress of the flower's dream. It often carries an acknowledgment of an apparent truth set against deeper existential uncertainty.
Etymology
Arabic (مَعْلُوم), passive participle from the triconsonantal root 'ʿ-l-m' (ع-ل-م), meaning 'to know'.
Usage
Frequently deployed in the ghazal to contrast certainty and surface awareness against hidden emotional turmoil or metaphysical mystery.
Examples
Your hidden pain became known to everyone.
It is not known what destination lies ahead.