Word Meaning
वाक़िए
waaqiye
Meaning
An event, occurrence, or visionary dream; in this verse, a vision or reality.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'waaqi'ah' denotes an occurrence, an actuality, or in Sufi terminology, a visionary dream or true revelation. In this couplet, it represents the experiential encounter or vision of the realm of death, against which worldly wakefulness is exposed as an illusion. The poet exploits the tension between waking life and dream, highlighting that what seemed real was ephemeral.
Etymology
Arabic (واقعة, from the root w-q-‘, meaning to fall, happen, or transpire).
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, the word is often employed to contrast concrete events with illusions or to invoke a prophetic dream.
Examples
a strange occurrence in the night
the reality brought before the heart