Word Meaning
रफ़्त
raft
hiverb
Meaning
Went, departed, gone; the past.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian, 'raft' is the third-person past tense of 'raftan', meaning 'he/she went' or 'departed'. In this couplet, Ghalib refers to the elementary memorization exercises of Persian schoolboys translating root verbs into Urdu ('raft means went, bood means was'). The word evokes the irreparable passage of time, indicating that sorrow has taught him nothing beyond the elementary realization of loss.
Etymology
Persian 'raftan' (to go, depart), third-person singular past tense stem 'raft'.
Usage
In Urdu and Persian ghazal, it is often paired with 'bood' (was) to signify mortality, nostalgia, and the ephemeral nature of life.
Examples
raft-o-guzasht (it went and passed away)
karwan raft (the caravan departed)
Synonyms
गयागुज़िश्तारवाना
Related Words
रफ़्ताररफ़्तनरफ़्ता-रफ़्ता