Word Meaning
वٖफ़ा
wafā
Meaning
Fidelity, loyalty, constancy, or the fulfillment of a promise.
Detailed Meaning
'Wafā' denotes loyalty, devotion, and the steadfast honoring of a pledge. In this couplet, it occurs in the compound phrase 'ahad-e-wafā-e-gul' (the rose's promise of fidelity), symbolizing the flower's ephemeral nature and inability to remain true to the devoted nightingale. The poet warns that placing trust in such fleeting beauty leads inevitably to grief.
Etymology
Arabic (وفاء, wafā’), from the root w-f-y, signifying fulfillment, loyalty, or completeness.
Usage
In the classical ghazal tradition, wafā is the defining ideal of the lover, whose steadfast devotion is eternally contrasted with the beloved's proverbial bewafāī (infidelity).
Examples
To expect fidelity from the unfaithful.
The pledge of loyalty was broken.