Word Meaning
मर्हबा
marhaba
Meaning
Welcome; bravo; hail; an exclamation of greeting or praise.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'marhaba' serves as an exclamation of joyful welcome, acclaim, or admiration. In this couplet, it is used with profound irony and devotion, where the speaker stoically salutes and welcomes the very blade that severs their tongue. It embodies the classical motif of accepting the beloved or executioner's cruelty with absolute submission and gratitude.
Etymology
Arabic مَرْحَبًا (marḥaban), an adverbial accusative from the root r-ḥ-b (ر ح ب) meaning 'to be spacious, roomy, open'.
Usage
In ghazals, it is frequently used to acclaim beauty or courage, or paradoxically to embrace death and torment inflicted by the beloved.
Examples
Marhaba to the grief that adorns the heart.
Bid marhaba even to the descending sword.