वाए-दीवानगी

Meaning

Alas for this madness; an exclamation of lament or regret over intense passion.

Detailed Meaning

A composite exclamatory phrase combining the lament 'wae' (alas/woe) with 'deewangi' (madness or obsession). In classical poetry, particularly in Ghalib's couplet, it expresses self-directed irony and grief over the heart's irrational urge to run toward the beloved only to be bewildered by the consequences. It captures both pity and awe at one's own incurable delirium of love.

Etymology

Composite: Persian/Arabic interjection 'vāy/wāy' (alas, woe) + Persian 'dīvāngī' (madness, passion, from 'dīv' meaning demon/spirit).

Usage

Commonly used in ghazal poetry to voice paradoxical bewilderment and lament over the incurable folly of the lover's own heart.

Examples

Synonyms

Related Words