Word Meaning
रिकाब
rikaab
Meaning
A stirrup for horse-riding; also used figuratively for retinue or presence.
Detailed Meaning
Literally referring to a horseman's stirrup, 'rikaab' represents equestrian grace, journeying, and regal majesty in classical poetry. In this couplet, it appears in the compound 'chashm-e-rikaab' (the eye or slit of the stirrup), where the speaker laments that his dust could not even serve as kohl to the beloved's mounting gear. It reinforces the metaphor of the beloved as an unapproachable royal equestrian (sheh-sawaar).
Etymology
Arabic (rikāb, ركاب), derived from the root r-k-b (to ride); borrowed through Persian into Urdu.
Usage
In classical ghazal poetry, 'rikaab' is frequently paired with departure, travel, or submission to the beloved's royal equestrian retinue.
Examples
Ready to depart, holding his foot in the stirrup.
He placed his head in dust before the beloved's stirrup.