Word Meaning
शिकवा
shikwa
Meaning
Complaint, grievance, reproach, or lamentation.
Detailed Meaning
In classical poetry, 'shikwa' denotes a deeply felt grievance, lament, or reproach directed at fate, God, or the beloved. In this couplet, it represents the speaker's complaint regarding his own mental exhaustion and failing intellect ('zo'f-e-dimaagh'). It sets up an ironic contrast between the poet's heavy inner distress and the beloved's distracting conversation about fragrant hair.
Etymology
Arabic شَكْوَى (shakwā), derived from the triconsonantal root sh-k-w (ش-ك-و), meaning to complain, mourn, or voice suffering.
Usage
In ghazal tradition, 'shikwa' often refers to the lover's protest against the beloved's cruelty or indifference, as well as philosophical complaints against fortune or heaven.
Examples
A silent grievance harbored within the heart.
Making a complaint against the tyranny of fate.