शक़

Meaning

Torn, split, rent asunder, or cracked.

Detailed Meaning

Derived from Arabic, 'shaq' signifies the state of being cleaved, split open, or torn. In this couplet, it describes the poet's chest tearing open, which paradoxical as it seems, brings immense relief because the exhausting pretense of concealing inner anguish is finally over. The rupture thus symbolizes emotional liberation through exposure.

Etymology

Arabic شَقّ (shaqq), meaning to split, cleave, or tear.

Usage

In classical Urdu ghazal, it is frequently used in the verbal compound 'shaq hona' to dramatically convey the bursting open of the lover's chest, heart, or collar under extreme emotional anguish.

Examples

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Related Words