Word Meaning
साहिबो
sahibo
Meaning
O gentlemen, o sirs, respected listeners (vocative plural form).
Detailed Meaning
This is the vocative plural form of 'sahib', used to address onlookers, gentlemen, or the gathering at large. In this couplet by Mir, the speaker turns directly to the inquisitive crowd, acknowledging his notorious ruin with sorrowful and ironic detachment. It creates an engaging, dramatic dialogue between the afflicted poet and the listeners.
Etymology
From Arabic 'ṣāḥib' (companion, friend, master) combined with the Hindustani vocative plural inflection '-o'.
Usage
In ghazal poetry, it is employed as a direct form of address to spectators or listeners, often tinged with self-deprecation or irony.
Examples
Listen to the tale of a wounded heart, o sirs.
O sirs, why do you inquire about my ruined state?