Word Meaning
सँग
sang
Meaning
Stone, rock, or flint; metaphorically, cruelty or an unyielding heart.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'sang' literally denotes a stone or boulder, frequently functioning as a metaphor for hardness of heart, obstacles, or cruelty. In this couplet, it represents the literal and metaphorical barren mountain stone upon which verdure fails to grow despite the monumental labors of Kohkan (Farhad). It evokes the tragic futility of selfless love confronting an unyielding reality.
Etymology
Persian (سنگ, sang), from Old Iranian / Proto-Iranian roots.
Usage
In the ghazal, 'sang' is conventionally paired in antithesis with 'shisha' (glass) to contrast the brittle heart of the lover with the callousness of the beloved or the world.
Examples
A shower of stones against a fragile glass house.
Laying one's forehead upon the beloved's stone threshold.