Word Meaning
शह्र
shahr
hinoun
Meaning
A city, town, or inhabited settlement.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'shahr' denotes an urban center, embodying societal life, civility, or worldly confinement. In this couplet, it represents the current worldly or temporary dwelling, which the seeker refuses to accept as the culmination of spiritual longing.
Etymology
Persian 'shahr' (شهر), ultimately deriving from Old Persian 'khshathra' (realm, dominion).
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'shahr' often symbolizes the realm of reason, societal judgment, and superficiality, commonly contrasted with the desert (dasht) of passionate abandonment.
Examples
Leaving the city behind, the wanderer entered the desert.
The bustling city knows nothing of the solitude of love.
Synonyms
नगरबलदापुर
Related Words
दीयारसहराकूचाबस्ती