Word Meaning
सद-नीस्ताँ
sad-nīstāñ
Meaning
A hundred reed-beds or reed-groves; an immense multitude of reeds.
Detailed Meaning
Literally denoting 'a hundred reed-beds', the compound figuratively signifies an immense and inexhaustible reservoir of lament or song, as flutes (nai) are crafted from reeds. In this couplet, silence is rooted in a hundred reed-beds, suggesting that an overwhelming, dormant capacity for crying out is held in awe-struck, paralyzed speechlessness.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'sad' (hundred) and 'nīstān' (reed-bed, derived from 'nai' [reed/flute] + '-stān' [place of]).
Usage
In classical Urdu and Persian poetry, 'nīstān' evokes the mystical reed flute from Rumi's Masnavi, representing the soul longing and weeping for its origin.
Examples
A silent breath holds the sorrow of a hundred reed-beds.
The lament rose as if from a hundred reed-beds.