Word Meaning
रू-कशी
roo-kashii
Meaning
Defiance, opposition, rivalry, or contending face-to-face against another.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'roo-kashi' literally means drawing back the face, and metaphorically signifies defiance, rivalry, or contending against an adversary. In this couplet, it describes the lover's audacious yearning to stand in rivalry and contest against the deadly row of the beloved's eyelashes. The poet heightens the pathos by juxtaposing this grand contest with the lover's utter frailty, unable to endure even a thorn's prick.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'rū' (face) and 'kashī' (drawing/withdrawing, from 'kashīdan').
Usage
In the ghazal, it commonly depicts an audacious defiance or romantic rivalry, often framed ironically against the lover's inner helplessness.
Examples
To nurse a secret defiance against the beloved's glance
Frail in body, yet bold in rivalry