Word Meaning
शिकस्ता-दिलों
shikasta-dilon
Meaning
Broken-hearted ones; people afflicted with grief and romantic sorrow.
Detailed Meaning
Refers to the fraternity of broken-hearted and melancholic lovers suffering from romantic rejection or despair. In this couplet, the speaker asserts that their own immense anguish is so profound that, if given a voice or turn, it would outshine the legendary sacrifices of Farhad and Qais. It encapsulates the traditional poetic posture where the contemporary lover's grief claims supremacy over classical archetypes.
Etymology
Persian compound: 'shikasta' (شکستہ, broken, from shikastan 'to break') + 'dil' (دل, heart) with the Urdu plural oblique suffix '-on' (وں).
Usage
Commonly invoked in the ghazal to portray humble yet enduring lovers whose silent grief is compared against the epic sufferings of classic romance figures.
Examples
cries of the broken-hearted
the gathering of broken-hearted lovers