Word Meaning
रबाब
rabaab
Meaning
A traditional stringed musical instrument resembling a lute or rebec.
Detailed Meaning
Rabab is an ancient plucked or bowed stringed instrument common in Persian, Central Asian, and Hindustani classical music traditions. In Urdu poetry, it frequently embodies music, revelry, and the lively atmosphere of the gathering (bazm). In this couplet, it appears in the compound 'chang-o-rabab' to signify conventional musical pleasures, which are contrasted with the solitary silence of nature.
Etymology
Arabic 'rabāb', borrowed through Persian.
Usage
In classical ghazal, it is frequently paired with 'chang' (harp) in the compound 'chang-o-rabab' to symbolize the musical instruments and revelry of the beloved's banquet.
Examples
The lamenting melody rising from the rabab
Silence the clamor of the chang and rabab