Word Meaning
रेज़ा
reza
Meaning
A minute piece, fragment, crumb, splinter, or particle.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu verse, 'reza' denotes a tiny particle, chip, or fragment of a shattered whole. In Ghalib's couplet, it appears in the compound 'reza-e-almaas' (diamond dust/splinters), highlighting the cruel paradox of using lethal, sharp diamond shards as the primary component for a wound's healing salve. It conveys both severe fragmentation and fatal torment.
Etymology
Persian (ریزه / rēza), derived from the verb 'rīxtan' (to pour, scatter, shed).
Usage
Commonly used in ghazals alongside words like 'dil' (heart) or 'aaina' (mirror) to symbolize utter heartbreak or shattered existence.
Examples
reza-reza hona (to be shattered into tiny pieces)
dil ke reze chunna (to gather the fragments of the broken heart)