Word Meaning
शर्म
sharm
Meaning
Modesty, bashfulness, shame, or embarrassment.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Persian and Urdu poetry, 'sharm' denotes innate modesty, bashfulness, or a sense of honor and decorum. In this couplet, as part of the genitive compound 'sharm-e-ra'nai' (the modesty of graceful beauty), it signifies the delicate reserve intrinsic to true grace. The poet warns that artificial affectation (takalluf) shatters this veil of modesty, leaving the lover's suffering tragically exposed.
Etymology
Persian (شرم - sharm), denoting modesty, shame, or embarrassment.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'sharm' most frequently portrays the beloved's alluring bashfulness, though it also reflects the lover's humiliating despair.
Examples
The veil of modesty slipped away
Overcome with bashfulness and shame