Word Meaning
शिद्दत
shiddat
Meaning
Intensity, severity, harshness, or vehemence.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu, 'shiddat' denotes severity, extreme intensity, or harsh vehemence. In this couplet by Ghalib, it specifically points to the preacher's unrelenting strictness and harshness in rebuking the lover. Ghalib dismisses this overzealous scolding with witty indifference, remarking that he can always vent his feeling by tearing his own collar.
Etymology
Arabic شِدَّة (shiddah), from the root sh-d-d (ش-د-د), related to being strong, firm, severe, or intense.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is most often employed to denote the unbearable extremity of love's torment or the excessive strictness of moralizers.
Examples
The intensity of grief kept him awake all night.
He endured the severity of the cold without complaining.