Word Meaning
सितम-केशों
sitam-keshon
Meaning
Cruel ones, oppressors, or tormentors who habitually inflict pain.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian compound noun in the oblique plural form, referring to individuals whose habitual practice, creed, or disposition is tyranny and cruelty. In this couplet, it refers to the beloveds whose relentless, piercing glances strike the lover like arrows, turning his very eyelid into a sieve of sorrow. It characterizes habitual, unyielding torment as an intrinsic trait of the cruel beloved.
Etymology
Persian: compound of 'sitam' (tyranny, injustice, cruelty) + 'kesh' (habit, religion, manner, inclination).
Usage
Commonly used in ghazals to characterize beloveds whose nature is inherently given to inflicting emotional cruelty upon lovers.
Examples
Enduring the relentless arrows of the cruel ones.
No plea for mercy moves the heart of tormentors.