Word Meaning
रहज़नी
rahzanī
Meaning
Highway robbery, banditry, or plundering on the road.
Detailed Meaning
Literally meaning highway robbery or ambush of travelers, in poetry it often symbolizes the sudden, devastating theft of a lover's heart or senses by the beloved. In this couplet, the poet playfully wonders whether the departure of the beloved with his stolen heart is an act of brigandage or romantic conquest. It represents being plundered without defense.
Etymology
Persian: composed of 'rah' (road, path) + 'zan' (from zadan, to strike/rob) + noun suffix '-ī'.
Usage
In classical ghazal, 'rahzani' frequently pairs with metaphors of the caravan ('kaarwaan') and traveler ('raahi'), depicting the beloved or fate as a brigand robbing the lover of heart and faith.
Examples
a victim of highway robbery on love's path
fearing plundering at every crossroad