Word Meaning
मर्दुम
Mardum
Meaning
A person or human; also the pupil of the eye in compounds.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'mardum' primarily denotes a human being, but in anatomical collocations like 'mardum-e deeda' it signifies the pupil of the eye. In this couplet, the poet uses wordplay between 'pupil' and 'person' to imagine the pupils of tearful eyes as aquatic beings ('mardum-e aabi') dwelling eternally in tears. This dual sense is a classical trope that dramatizes non-stop weeping through vivid personification.
Etymology
Persian 'mardum' (مردم), from Middle Persian 'mardom' (person, mankind), from Proto-Iranian *martiya- (mortal, man).
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'mardum' is frequently used in wordplay with 'mardum-e deeda' (pupil of the eye), personifying the pupil as an inhabitant of tear-flooded eyes.
Examples
mardum-e chashm
mardum-e aalam