शबनम-आश्ना

Meaning

Familiar with or receptive to dew; acknowledging the morning dew.

Detailed Meaning

A poetic compound joining 'shabnam' (dew) and 'āshnā' (acquainted or receptive). In Ghalib's verse, it describes the blazing sun's indifference to the humble dewdrop, which yearns to dissolve in prostration before it.

Etymology

Persian: 'shabnam' (dew; literally 'night-moisture') + 'āshnā' (acquainted, friend).

Usage

Employed in the ghazal to express the contrast between an exalted, indifferent beloved (the sun) and a fleeting, self-effacing lover (the dewdrop).

Examples

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Related Words