Word Meaning
शोबदा-बाज़ों
sho'bada-baazon
Meaning
Jugglers, conjurers, tricksters, or illusionists who perform sleight of hand.
Detailed Meaning
This term refers to illusionists, magicians, or jugglers who deceive onlookers through deft tricks and sleight of hand. In the couplet, wine-drinkers are satirically likened to clever tricksters because they miraculously transformed a pious religious elder into a foolish beast using wine. Poetically, it conveys the idea of causing sudden, bewildering transformations through cunning artifice.
Etymology
Compound formed from Arabic 'shu'bada' (conjuring, sleight of hand) and the Persian active suffix '-bāz' (one who plays or practices).
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, the word is often applied metaphorically to fate (falak) or deceitful lovers who constantly alter appearances and mislead observers.
Examples
Falak ke shobada-baazon ka tamaasha
Nazar ka dhoka hai in shobada-baazon ka khel