सिरिश्ता-दारी

Meaning

Governance, administrative control, management, or official authority over affairs.

Detailed Meaning

In Persian and Urdu, 'sirishta-dari' literally means the post, duty, or function of a superintendent or registry clerk (sirishta-dar), extending metaphorically to governance or administration. In the given couplet, it refers ironically to the tresses holding reign and administrative control over the universe, bringing darkness and disorder. It plays on the contrast between an orderly office ('sirishta') and the chaotic, dark entanglement of the beloved's locks.

Etymology

Persian: 'sarishta' (thread, line, record, regulation) + 'dār' (keeper, holder) + abstract noun suffix '-ī'.

Usage

In classical Urdu poetry, administrative and legal vocabulary is often used metaphorically to depict the tyrannical or sovereign sway of the beloved over the lover's world.

Examples

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Related Words