Word Meaning
रिकाबियाँ
rikābiyāñ
Meaning
Small plates, dishes, or shallow bowls.
Detailed Meaning
Refers to small shallow dishes, plates, or saucers commonly used for serving food. In Mir Taqi Mir's verse, the sun and the moon resting upon the banquet cloth of the sky are metaphorically portrayed as two empty plates, warning the seeker that the cosmos offers no real spiritual nourishment. It conveys the illusion of worldly abundance concealing utter barrenness.
Etymology
From Persian 'rikābī' (رکابی), derived from 'rikāb' (stirrup, also a type of vessel/dish).
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazals, tableware like 'rikābī' and 'khwān' frequently appears in celestial allegories to represent the fleeting and unfulfilling nature of worldly existence.
Examples
Empty dishes upon the feast of fate
Silver saucers arrayed before the guests