Word Meaning
रफ़तनी
raftani
Meaning
Bound to depart, destined to leave, transient, or mortal.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'raftani' describes someone or something bound to depart or destined for demise. In the given couplet, it signifies the transient nature of worldly inhabitants who are inevitably bound to leave this world on their final journey. It emphasizes mortality, the ephemerality of earthly life, and the certainty of departure.
Etymology
Persian, derived from the infinitive 'raftan' (to go, depart) followed by the suffix '-ī' indicating fitness or necessity (destined to go).
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is employed as an evocative adjective to meditate on mortality (fanā) and the fleeting nature of worldly existence.
Examples
All travelers within this mortal inn are bound to depart.
A transient existence departing toward oblivion.