Word Meaning
लईम
la'īm
hiadjective
Meaning
Mean, vile, miserly, contemptible, or ignoble person.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'la'īm' denotes someone base, ignoble, or stingy. In the quoted verse, Ghalib personifies the dust or the grave as 'la'īm', rebuking it as a miserly hoarder that devours and hides precious human beings. The term emphasizes both contempt and a bitter grievance against the earth's callous greed.
Etymology
Arabic لَئِيم (la'īm), derived from the root l-'-m (ل-أ-م), signifying base, ignoble, or stingy character.
Usage
In the ghazal, it is traditionally applied as an epithet to reproach treacherous fate, the unresponsive grave, or an ungenerous rival.
Examples
If I had the power, I'd ask of the dust: 'O vile one!'
Before true generosity, every miser stands disgraced.
Synonyms
कमीनारज़ीलफ़रोमायाअधम
Related Words
लुऊमतबख़ीलख़सीस