Word Meaning
रुसूम
rusoom
Meaning
Customs, traditions, rites, or established social conventions.
Detailed Meaning
'Rusoom' is the Arabic plural form of 'rasm', denoting established customs, rituals, or social conventions. In Ghalib's verse, it signifies the dogmatic, customary expectations of love and tragic romance that trapped even legendary figures like Farhad. Instead of dying purely out of raw grief, Farhad was constrained by the ritual need for a stone-cutter's axe, remaining intoxicated by social protocol.
Etymology
Arabic, broken plural of 'rasm' (رَسْم), from the root r-s-m denoting to trace, prescribe, or draw.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazals, 'rusoom' is frequently paired with 'quyood' (restrictions) to represent the rigid worldly conventions that lovers and free thinkers struggle against.
Examples
Rebellion against the customs of the world
A prisoner to ancient rituals and traditions