Word Meaning
रहज़न
rahzan
Meaning
A highwayman, robber, or bandit.
Detailed Meaning
Literally a road-striker or highway robber who plunders travelers on their journey. In the cited couplet, fate or the heavens are cast as a robber that has plundered past joys, underscoring the folly of demanding back lost treasures as if they were a legitimate debt. Figuratively in Urdu poetry, it frequently personifies treacherous fate, deceptive guides, or worldly perils.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'rāh' (way, road) + 'zan' (striker, from 'zadan', to strike).
Usage
In classical ghazal poetry, 'rahzan' is frequently paired in contrast with 'rahbar' (guide) to explore themes of betrayal along the spiritual or romantic path.
Examples
Mistaking the robber for a guide, we were plundered.
The caravan passed, yet remained in the bandit's reach.