Word Meaning
रिहा
rihā
Meaning
Released, liberated, set free, or exempted from captivity.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetics, 'rihā' signifies being released or liberated from physical, emotional, or metaphysical entrapment. In this couplet, it embodies the caged bird's longing to break free from the confining egg-like cage into expansive flight, framing liberation as an essential rebirth. The word captures the profound transition from stifling captivity to true existence.
Etymology
Persian 'رہا' (rahā/rihā), signifying set free, untied, or detached.
Usage
Frequently juxtaposed with motifs of cages (qafas) or chains (zanjeer) to symbolize the soul's yearning for mystical or existential freedom.
Examples
To be released from the snare of sorrow is never easy.
Only through death was the captive set free from the cage of existence.