Word Meaning
मजनूं
Majnuun
Meaning
The archetypal mad lover Qais; one crazed or possessed by intense romantic love.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning possessed by a jinn or mad, it refers to Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, the legendary tragic lover of Layla. In this couplet, 'Gor-e-Majnun' (the grave of Majnun) designates his burial place, where the speaker sits as an impoverished devotee revering Majnun as the spiritual master (peer) of passionate love. It embodies the pinnacle of self-abnegation and madness born of unrequited love in classical poetry.
Etymology
Arabic (مَجْنُون), passive participle of the root j-n-n (ج-ن-ن), literally meaning 'possessed by a jinn' or 'mad, insane'.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, Majnun serves as the supreme archetype of the wandering, ruined lover whose devotion transcends sanity and worldly bounds.
Examples
Dشت-e-vahshat mein Majnun ki yaad aayi.
Gor-e-Majnun pe ahl-e-vafa ka hujum hai.