Word Meaning
शीर
shīr
hinoun
Meaning
Milk; sweet liquid, famously referenced in Farhad's impossible task.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and Urdu, 'shīr' means milk. In classical poetry, it frequently appears in the compound 'jū-e-shīr' (a canal of milk), referencing the legendary lover Farhad who carved a channel through Mount Bisutun for his beloved Shirin. In this couplet, enduring the solitary night is compared to that agonizing, near-impossible feat.
Etymology
Persian (شیر / shīr), meaning milk.
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, 'shīr' almost exclusively appears as part of the Farhad-Shirin allusion denoting an arduous, Herculean trial born of passionate love.
Examples
jū-e-shīr kā lānā
shīr-o-shakar honā
Synonyms
दूधपय
Related Words
जू-ए-शीरशीरींशीर-ओ-शकरकोहकन